Roquan Smith to end holdout with Chicago Bears
Tuesday 14 August 2018 07:14, UK
The standoff between the Chicago Bears and No. 8 overall draft pick Roquan Smith appears to be over.
The Bears say they will make Smith available to reporters after Tuesday's practice, amid reports that he and the team have a contract agreement in place.
Smith is the final pick from this year's NFL draft class to reach a contract agreement.
According to multiple reports over the last few weeks, the sticking point in negotiations has been the language regarding the possible voiding of guarantees in the event that Smith is disciplined by the league.
Smith's representatives were known to be seeking insurance that any punishment for on-field conduct - such as a suspension for violating the league's new helmet rule - would not void any of the linebacker's guarantees.
All but two of this year's 32 first-round picks signed their entry-level contracts before their teams' respective training camps began. New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, the third overall pick, held out briefly before signing his deal and reporting on July 31.
The Bears have played two of their five preseason games and will visit the Denver Broncos this week for joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday before Saturday's game.
Smith is expected to compete for a starting job immediately, despite his lengthy absence.
"We drafted him for a lot of reasons," general manager Ryan Pace said earlier in camp. "But one of the reasons was his football makeup and his football intelligence. Which is really off the charts. So he's a guy who picks things up quickly."
