RAVENS MAKE ROQUAN SMITH HIGHEST PAID LB IN FOOTBALL
The Baltimore Ravens have reached an agreement with All-Pro middle linebacker Roquan Smith, the club confirmed on Wednesday.
According to Smith’s advisor Saint Omni, Smith has agreed to a massive five-year, $100 million extension that includes $60 million in total guarantees, $45 million of that total fully guaranteed. The deal officially makes Smith the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL, ahead of Colts’ Shaquille Leonard ($19.7 million), 49ers’ Fred Warner ($19.1 million), Jets’ CJ Mosley ($17 million), and Jaguars’ Foyesade Oluokun ($15 million).
The 25-year-old Montezuma, Georgia native does not have representation and represented himself through negotiations. “I think a lot of guys want to be at the table now for transparency,” Smith said after signing the deal on Wednesday. “Just having a great leader in Eric [DeCosta]… and being able to treat players fairly and look at guys like men, means a lot to me. It means a lot for other guys that are looking [to represent themselves] as well.”
A statement from Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta read: “We are so excited to announce a five-year extension with Roquan Smith. Since he’s been here, Roquan has been a leader on and off the field, impressing us with his attitude and desire to be a great player and teammate every day. There is certainly a standard of defense in Baltimore, and Roquan has proven that he can surpass that lofty mark. Congratulations to Roquan and his family on this special day!”
The news sums up what has been a successful few days for Smith: the former Chicago Bear had an incredible game on Sunday against the Bengals despite the Ravens’ loss, registering 16 tackles and tying a season-high mark. His alma mater, The Georgia Bulldogs, won a second straight national title on Monday, and he signed a record-breaking contract extension on Tuesday.
Smith spoke to Ravens media on Wednesday, saying, “It feels surreal. Very blessed to be in this moment. [I have the] utmost respect for Eric [DeCosta] and the way he did things. Honest guy, fair. Just being able to nail this out and call Baltimore home is amazing. I’m just very excited to keep going, keep building here, and chasing championships.”
The Ravens’ defense has completely turned around after the team acquired Smith on October 31, transitioning from one of the worst in the league to one of the best. The team was 20th in the league in points per game allowed, 24th in yards per game allowed, 22nd in total QBR allowed, and 14th in the league in yards per rush allowed before Roquan Smith. The Ravens have now improved to 2nd, 2nd, 6th, and 3rd in those respective categories since, allowing only 14.7 points per game in nine games since.
Smith’s impact on the Ravens’ defense is undeniable. The 2018 eighth-overall pick is a perfect scheme and organization fit and has allowed a young and first-time NFL defensive coordinator like Mike MacDonald to be creative and aggressive in play calling.
The 6-foot-1 linebacker has been impressive against the run and has immensely helped 2020 first-round linebacker Patrick Queen realize his full potential. Both linebackers combined for an impressive 72 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and one fumble recovery in just December alone
Smith has also improved the Ravens’ secondary with his pass coverage ability, and his versatility in both the run and pass has allowed MacDonald to be flexible with personnel elsewhere. The team has played the past three games without cornerback Marcus Peters and played exceptionally well without safety Marcus Williams, who missed all of November with a wrist injury. With the core of the team set in stone, other pieces have been rotated elsewhere which has allowed the Ravens’ defense to make stops when it came down to it.
“He wants to do the things that are required to be a great player and to be a great unit and then to impact your team,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said of Smith on Monday. “That’s what he’s all about. 100%. That’s what I love about him. He’s one of the top guys I’ve ever seen that way. I think that always impacts everybody, as a leader, for sure.”
Smith is now one of three mid-season trades that Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta has hit big on. The other two are All-Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters from the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, who ended up signing a three-year extension, and Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. Ngakoue left the team during free agency before the 2021 season but the Ravens got a fourth-round compensatory pick for him.
While Smith’s extension is positive for the Ravens and the future of the organization, most Ravens fans will remain worried about signing Lamar Jackson more than anything. Smith’s deal, however, should not be a hindrance to the Ravens’ ability to tie Jackson down to a long-term extension.
The team has only two players on its books for 2026 and the first-year cap hits on long-term deals tend to be extremely low relative to the third and fourth years. This would mean the team has more money to work with and thus could offer Jackson a deal lucrative enough to keep him in Baltimore.
If the Ravens cannot reach a deal with Jackson this offseason, the organization can still franchise tag the 2016 Heisman trophy winner, now that they’ve solved the puzzle that was Smith’s contract.
Roquan Smith and the Ravens will now have to look forward to Sunday and the Cincinnati Bengals when they make a return to Paycor Stadium this week. The Ravens left Cincinnati with a bitter taste in their mouths after losing 27-16 to the 2021 AFC Champions last week and will look to set things right when it matters most – in the postseason.
   Smith was asked after the game on Sunday if he remembers ever having to play the same team back-to-back to which he nonchalantly replied: “Not really. At the end of the day, it’s just nameless, faceless opponents.”
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Alexander Jonesi. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.