NEWSLETTER
The days of Roquan Smith being kept to eight snaps will soon be a thing of the past:
Coach Nagy ready to increase @RoquanSmith1's playing time: "I do feel like right now with that time he’s had he’s in a position to definitely play more."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 13, 2018
Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy said the team’s first-round pick is in a position to get an increased playing load, and were very happy to hear that. Smith didn’t get much playing time in his NFL debut against the Packers, but made an instant impact by sacking DeShone Kizer on his first play. The No. 8 overall pick certainly made the most of his limited opportunities, coming away with three total tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a QB hit, and the aforementioned sack on his first play. Not bad for a player who missed training camp and two preseason games because of a holdout, then missed the rest of the exhibition season while nursing a hamstring injury.
And for what it’s worth, Smith himself sounds ready to give it a full go: “Whatever coach feels like is best for me as far as playing-time wise, if it’s one quarter or an entire game, whatever that may be, I’m just with it,” Smith said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
If the coaches are with it, and Smith is with it, then we’re with it too … especially if “it” means we’ll see more of the Bears’ first-round pick than we saw against Green Bay.
The Bears could use someone with Smith’s athleticism in the lineup more often this week, as the team will look to combat the mobility of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Few signal callers make plays like Wilson can out of the pocket, which makes this week’s matchup one where it would make sense for Smith to get in on the action.
Smith’s strong play in a small sample of snaps rekindled the argument to move the rookie into the starting lineup as soon as possible. Playing Smith in a lineup with Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Leonard Floyd, and Danny Trevathan would give the Bears a formidable front with multiple playmakers offenses must account for pre-snap and once the play is in motion. Further, teaming Smith with this group could go a long way toward easing the pressure off a rookie linebacker playing his second professional game.
So while we’re not totally sure how much more playing time Smith has earned, the general feeling is that it will be more than what he received in Week 1. We can dig it.
