Why Bears GM Ryan Poles should've learned a lesson from another pro sport before trading Roquan Smith
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a risky move this week by trading linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens. On the surface, the trade makes some sense. Chicago wasn't able to extend Smith before the 2022 season so they felt like they had to move on and get something out of the talented […]
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a risky move this week by trading linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens.
On the surface, the trade makes some sense. Chicago wasn't able to extend Smith before the 2022 season so they felt like they had to move on and get something out of the talented linebacker.
The problem is that Smith was an important team leader for the Bears, something that numerous players mentioned during training camp.
Smith was such an important leader that Poles and Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had to sit down with team leaders and explain their thought process behind the trade.
And that thought process was essentially that Poles didn't think Smith was worth the contract the linebacker wanted.
“We had a difference in value,” Poles said. “I’m not going to go into exactly where he slots and all of that. But at the same time, you want players to think highly of themselves. You want them to understand that they are the best at their position. I don’t fault him for that. But we had that conversation and obviously, it just didn’t work out.”
Those could be famous last words for Poles.
Smith is a good player. He brings intangibles like leadership to the Bears' locker room. His worth can't be defined simply by stats (as evidenced by the comments made).
Poles' comments about Smith and his "value" immediately reminded me of a comment made a few years ago by a former MLB general manager.
Brodie Van Wagenen, who is an agent, was serving as the general manager of the New York Mets in 2019 when starting pitcher Zack Wheeler became a free agent.
Wheeler had spent most of his career with the Mets to that point and had developed into a solid, if unspectacular, starting pitcher. He had a career ERA north of three, but Mets fans saw his potential and wanted him back.
Van Wagenen, however, didn't value Wheeler as other teams did. The Philadelphia Phillies ended up signing Wheeler to a five-year deal worth $118 million.
(It worked out for them as Wheeler is a key reason the Phillies are in the World Series this year.)
After the deal was done, Van Wagenen made a comment that would haunt him (he was eventually let go by the Mets).
"The value for what we thought the investment [was] didn't line up," said Van Wagenen. "The projections that we had for Zack, both short-term and long-term, didn't quite match up to the market he was able to enjoy."
Wheeler has been dominant the last two years and if anything, he's underpaid in Philly.
That feels a lot like what Poles was saying this week about Smith.
And that could turn out to be a mistake.
Fans wanted Smith to stay. And the players in the locker room badly wanted him to stay.
Perhaps that's what Poles should've considered, instead of using his calculator to figure out much to pay Smith per tackle.
I have a feeling Poles is going to regret this move. Team leaders are guys you keep around — especially when establishing a culture.
The Bears just took a guy who does everything the right way and shipped him out the door because they didn't value him.
If you think players in Chicago's locker room and around the league don't see that, you're fooling yourself. Poles is already well on his way to earning a reputation as a penny pincher.
Featured image via Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
