The Ravens are acquiring LB Roquan Smith from the Bears for 2nd- and 5th-round NFL Draft picks. Smith is in the final year of his rookie contract, so we'd bet on an extension with Baltimore following. His arrival likely means the end of full playing time for Ravens LB Patrick Queen. They'll likely start together, but the move for Smith signals dissatisfaction with the middle of the defense. Queen has become a full-timer this season after seeing 80% and then 76% the previous 2 seasons. Smith's departure from Chicago leaves tackle upside for LB Nicholas Morrow, who was already playing full-time snaps. Joe Thomas stands 3rd among Bears LBs in playing time currently and might be the top candidate to absorb vacated snaps.
Update: The Ravens are also sending LB A.J. Klein to the Bears, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He'll likely get at least a shot at stepping into Smith's vacated role.
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