The inside linebacker position was the center of attention for the Baltimore Ravens during the 2022 offseason. While there was already talent in the room, they failed to address a need at that position until the day before the 2022 NFL trade deadline.
Baltimore made a splash that changed their defense for the rest of the season when they traded for Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith in exchange for second and fifth round selections. Ravens head coach was asked about how Smith was able to acclimate himself so well in Baltimore after the trade, and said that the inside linebacker thinks about football all the time
"Roquan thinks football all the time. He's our kinda guy."
Coach Harbaugh on how Roquan Smith acclimated so quickly to the team: pic.twitter.com/i5p6RvyNhd
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 1, 2023
“Probably because he [Roquan Smith] is that kind of guy we just talked about. He thinks football all the time, and he’s our kind of guy.”
After Smith arrived in Baltimore, the team’s defense took off and played outstanding. Smith will now have a full offseason with the Ravens and will even get a chance to watch film with Hall of Fame inside linebacker from the Ray Lewis, so expect Smith’s game to get even better and to help out the defense even more moving forward.