Former O-Lineman Warns Bears Not To Pay Trey Smith

If there was one objective for the Chicago Bears going into free agency next month, it is finding a way to land right guard Trey Smith. The former 6th round pick has developed into a Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs, anchoring a line that has won two of the past three Super Bowls. He's now on the cusp of a third straight. Many feel he would be a massive upgrade for the Bears line. No price should be too high to get him, especially after allowing 67 sacks this season.

Geoff Schwartz played guard in the NFL for eight seasons from 2008 through 2015. He knows the importance of the position and who the great ones are. He was asked on the CHGO Bears podcast whether he'd pay Smith the projected $22+ million per year it would take to get him. Schwartz indicated that while he loves many things about the Chiefs standout, he'd be reluctant to pay that kind of cash. The talent does match the dollars.

Trey Smith is the best of a largely mediocre group.

Schwartz is just being honest. Rather than discounting his words as pointless, having context is important. Of the guards who played at least 50% of their team's offensive snaps this year, Smith ranked 37th with 31 pressures allowed. His run-blocking grade of 77.4 was the 9th-best in the league. This tells you that he is a good player. The problem is that the nature of free agency means the Bears will have to pay him like an elite player to bring him to Chicago. That is what Schwartz is getting at.

There is no question Trey Smith can help the Bears. He'd be an instant upgrade over anything they have at right guard. Still, is he better than Landon Dickerson, Quenton Nelson, and Chris Lindstrom, who are the highest-paid guards in the league? No. That is the crux of the situation. Ryan Poles has said he doesn't want to lean on free agency to solve his roster problems. Paying Smith would be a significant departure from his approach up to this point. It will be interesting to see if he sticks to his guns.