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Are Smith’s requests for such broad protections unusual or unreasonable?

That depends on whom you ask. No one disputes that guaranteed money should be subject to forfeiture if a player commits a crime (i.e. domestic abuse) or violates the league’s drug policies. But opinions differ when it comes to on-field, in-game discipline.

Seven other teams have executed contracts that include clauses protecting a first-round draft pick’s guaranteed money if he is suspended for an illegal hit. Only four of 32 teams have executed contracts with the broader behavioral protections that Smith seeks, one source said.

Smith has nothing in his background to suggest he’ll be ever be suspended for any misconduct. So why are his agents insisting upon these provisions for him specifically? And why would the Bears dig in to protect themselves against such an improbable scenario?

This is where the impasse goes beyond Roquan Smith and involves precedent for future contracts.

Smith’s agents aren’t just fighting to protect every dime Smith can earn. They’re also fighting for their future business. They want to be able to hold up Smith’s contract in recruiting meetings and show draft prospects how they scrap and claw for their clients. They want to negotiate with other teams and say that because the Bears agreed to these protections, they’re the new standard.

Meanwhile, the Bears aren’t worried that Smith will be a behavior problem on or off the field. To them, this is about the principle of having leeway to assess punitive damages for a rules violation outside the parameters of a football play. They’d rather not sacrifice that authority. For any player.

I have this sense that Roquan isn't worried about a ref bump or fight. I think he wants to be the first Bear to kneel for the anthem and he wants to protect his money if he were to do so. He has seen CK get cold shouldered and if he were to suck ass and then want to turn himself into a spectacle, he wants to have financial protections. Kneeling for the anthem in Soldier Field would be big news and by the way he has conducted himself as a college recruit and an unsigned rookie reeks of someone wanting to make a "bigger picture" gesture.

Whether you would love it or hate it matters not, that is would my sixth sense says this is about. He just isn't saying what non football action he wants to be protected from losing money as a result of doing.

My reasoning is that as a gifted athlete he is supremely confident in his skills and has little fear the Bears would strip money away from him as has never been done before as a result of a football fight. That fear would be a completely illogical reason to hold out this long and he knows it.
However, there is no barometer of how Ginny or George would react to a knelling Bear or what clause they may use to punish him to dissuade him from that action. That is what I think he wants his freedom to do.

I know that comes out there from left field, but holding out for the "fighting" issue is like picketing city hall for the right to jaywalk without fear of prosecution, sure technically it could happen, but is the non-issue worth the effort. I think he has other, possibly more divisive actions he wants protection to perform. I doubt he even knows what those may be, but I think, as he has proven, he likes to be on the leading edge of change and that may mean he wants to act in a provocative way in a Bears uniform.

Adipost wrote:Read this on another board and found it thought provoking...

I have this sense that Roquan isn't worried about a ref bump or fight. I think he wants to be the first Bear to kneel for the anthem and he wants to protect his money if he were to do so. He has seen CK get cold shouldered and if he were to suck ass and then want to turn himself into a spectacle, he wants to have financial protections. Kneeling for the anthem in Soldier Field would be big news and by the way he has conducted himself as a college recruit and an unsigned rookie reeks of someone wanting to make a "bigger picture" gesture.

Whether you would love it or hate it matters not, that is would my sixth sense says this is about. He just isn't saying what non football action he wants to be protected from losing money as a result of doing.

My reasoning is that as a gifted athlete he is supremely confident in his skills and has little fear the Bears would strip money away from him as has never been done before as a result of a football fight. That fear would be a completely illogical reason to hold out this long and he knows it.
However, there is no barometer of how Ginny or George would react to a knelling Bear or what clause they may use to punish him to dissuade him from that action. That is what I think he wants his freedom to do.

I know that comes out there from left field, but holding out for the "fighting" issue is like picketing city hall for the right to jaywalk without fear of prosecution, sure technically it could happen, but is the non-issue worth the effort. I think he has other, possibly more divisive actions he wants protection to perform. I doubt he even knows what those may be, but I think, as he has proven, he likes to be on the leading edge of change and that may mean he wants to act in a provocative way in a Bears uniform.

Boris13c wrote:

UOK wrote:@Bernstein_McK

"The Bears are very dug in. They believe the precedent (on-field, non-football related fines) is unacceptable." -Dan Bernstein on the Roquan Smith situation, adding there has been zero contact between the two parties

that is a very strange quote

so the Bears find the current system of fines unacceptable?

maybe Bernstein was drinking when he posted that

skamanfrank wrote:**Hypothetical question and not what I think is going to happen**
What happens if he just doesn't sign? Does he have to go back into the draft? Does he become a free agent and anyone can pick him up? Do the bears get any compensation if he never signs?

If a Drafted Rookie has not signed a Player Contract during the period from the date of such Draft to the thirtieth day prior to the first game of the regular season: (i) the Club that drafted the player may not thereafter trade to another Club either its exclusive negotiating rights to such player or any Player Contract that it signs with such player for the player’s initial League Year; and (ii) the Club that drafted the player is the only Club with which the player may sign a Player Contract until the day of the Draft in the subsequent League Year, at which time such player is eligible to be drafted in the subsequent League Year’s Draft by any Club except the Club that drafted him in the initial Draft. (After the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, the player and the Club may sign a Player Contract only for future League Year(s)).

(a) Notwithstanding Section 4(b) above, if a player is drafted by a Club and, during the period between the Draft and the next annual Draft, signs a contract with, plays for, or is employed by a professional football team not in the NFL during all or any part of the 12-month period following the initial Draft, then the drafting Club (or any assignee Club) shall retain the exclusive NFL rights to negotiate for and sign a contract with the player until the day of the Draft three League Years after the initial Draft, and shall thereafter have a Right of First Refusal as described herein, and the player may receive offers from any Club at any time thereafter. The player shall notify the NFLPA and the NFL of his desire to sign a contract with an NFL Club and of the date on which the player will be free of his other contractual obligations of employment, if any. Within thirty days of receipt of such notice by the NFL or the date of the availability of such player, whichever is later, the NFL Club that drafted the player must tender a Player Contract as set forth in Section 3 above to the player in order to retain its rights to that player

skamanfrank wrote:**Hypothetical question and not what I think is going to happen**
What happens if he just doesn't sign? Does he have to go back into the draft? Does he become a free agent and anyone can pick him up? Do the bears get any compensation if he never signs?

UOK wrote:

G08 wrote:

UOK wrote:

I mean it's cute to keep throwing that word/connotation around, but I really don't understand what is 'meatball' about being angry at a player that is actively hurting your team.

Do you think it's good that he's not in camp? Do you think it's not putting our defense in a bind? Did you watch John Timu attempt to play coverage last night (woof)?

I mean how you can be indifferent or not care or whatever about this, to me, makes zero sense. You can keep talking about rationing out your anger and all that cute stuff, but on a strictly logical sense it's on par with telling me the Earth is flat.

If you have a crystal ball that tells you he plays week 1 and wins DROY this season, then I'll be right there with you saying none of this matters. I just don't believe that to be realistic.

UOK wrote:but to say "FUCK THIS GUY" is, in my mind, low class

UOK wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

what is it about him exactly that makes you question his intelligence?

fans are always so taken back by the idea of a player having any agency whatsoever.

BR0D1E86 wrote:

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

what is it about him exactly that makes you question his intelligence?

fans are always so taken back by the idea of a player having any agency whatsoever.

He’s either being used by his agency to score them points with other clients or he’s making the decision to hold out for unreasonable and ridiculous non-standard contract language.

Either decision is powerfully stupid.

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

what is it about him exactly that makes you question his intelligence?

fans are always so taken back by the idea of a player having any agency whatsoever.

He’s either being used by his agency to score them points with other clients or he’s making the decision to hold out for unreasonable and ridiculous non-standard contract language.

Either decision is powerfully stupid.

why do you think the contract language he's holding out for is ridiculous and unreasonable?

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

what is it about him exactly that makes you question his intelligence?

fans are always so taken back by the idea of a player having any agency whatsoever.

He’s either being used by his agency to score them points with other clients or he’s making the decision to hold out for unreasonable and ridiculous non-standard contract language.

Either decision is powerfully stupid.

why do you think the contract language he's holding out for is ridiculous and unreasonable?

The Marshall Plan wrote:Does anybody remember Cedric Benson's holdout? I don't remember the specifics. Benson took a lot of shit for his.

donkeykong wrote:

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:

RustyTrubisky wrote:

BR0D1E86 wrote:He’s an idiot that’s letting his agents use him to make a ridiculous name for themselves.

what is it about him exactly that makes you question his intelligence?

fans are always so taken back by the idea of a player having any agency whatsoever.

He’s either being used by his agency to score them points with other clients or he’s making the decision to hold out for unreasonable and ridiculous non-standard contract language.

Either decision is powerfully stupid.

why do you think the contract language he's holding out for is ridiculous and unreasonable?

Why do you think it isn’t? The contract language he’s seeking at this point is tantamount to “I should be able to beat my girlfriend and while I’m suspended you keep paying me my guaranteed salary”.

Unless I’m completely missing something he’s seeking guarantees now that protect him from any off-field suspensions as well. That’s garbage! The Bears organization already said we’ll keep paying you if you do something while playing on the field and you get suspended. Fantastic! How can you ask for anything more? You don’t get a guarantee that you can do anything you want to whoever you want, whenever you want, however you want and we’ll just keep paying you. Thanks for playing for us Roquan, here’s $20,000,000, please don’t be a wanton criminal.

That is not reasonable to me. Why is it reasonable to you?