The Chicago Bears need to re-tool their offensive line this offseason, and Trey Smith makes for a perfect match
Smith brings a lot to the table to whoever picks up (or re-signs) him this upcoming offseason. The current Kansas City Chief is a brick wall in their interior, and his numbers back up the claim that he should be the highest-paid guard in all of football.
The 25-year-old has a 77.6 PFF grade so far this season, good for 15th amongst all guards in the league. Smith has a 67.3 pass-blocking grade and an 81.2 run-blocking grade in his fourth NFL season. He has logged the most snaps out of all guards in the league with 976 played and has not allowed a single sack.
Even though Smith will come at quite the cost, he would be worth every penny if the Chicago Bears had a chance to sit down and have a meeting with him in free agency.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune acknowledges the fact that this Chicago Bears offseason and rebuild as a whole needs to begin up front. Protecting Caleb Williams should be the number one priority for the franchise moving forward, and Smith addresses that need.
I’ve written a couple of times that I believe the makeover of the offensive line focuses on the interior. The Bears want to build a firm pocket for Caleb Williams, which means looking at ways to improve from guard to guard. I think you’re looking at a free-agent signing, a high draft pick and then another rookie or a second free-agent addition.
Smith covers the free-agent signing aspect of Bigg’s equation. The draft pick is a different story, but some believe that Will Campbell of LSU is an early draft target for the Chicago Bears. Even though Campbell played tackle in the SEC, he is listed as the top lineman in this upcoming draft class.
In a dream world where the Chicago Bears end up with Campbell and Smith, it could create a fun offensive line construction ahead of week one next year. Assuming Campbell and Braxton Jones take up the left side of the line, Smith would become the right guard and play next to Darnell Wright. All that would be left for the front office to take care of is signing a veteran center to complete the protection plan for Williams’ second NFL season.
Smith might not even make it to free agency, so the Chicago Bears will need to be prepared to pivot if that’s the case
With Smith getting so much praise before the season comes to a close, many believe Kansas City won’t let him out of their grip. Biggs seems to believe this as well, informing Chicago Bears fans to not get their hopes up when it comes to the thought of inking Smith to a long-term deal.
No one I have chatted with believes he will reach the open market. The expectation is the Chiefs pay Smith — he could become the highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL — or secure him with the franchise tag. So, let’s tap the brakes on the idea any sort of rebuild for the Bears could be centered around Smith.
It’s still a fun dream for fans to have in terms of adding Smith to the team this offseason. After another disaster on Monday night against the Vikings, it seems that the franchise will do whatever it takes to keep Williams untouched ahead of next year. If the Chiefs aren’t able to lock up their star guard on a hefty contract, it is easy to believe that the Bears will be an early front-runner in the bidding for Smith’s services.
