'Roquan who?' Bears rookie contract stalled over helmet rule but Smith will have to get past Nick Kwiatkoski

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title => "'Roquan who?' Bears rookie contract stalled over helmet rule but Smith will have to get past Nick Kwiatkoski"
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article_body => "BOURBONNAIS, Ill. \u2013 Bears coaches once made a mistake, handing Brian Urlacher a starting job at outside linebacker on the day he was drafted. Urlacher did wind up in the Hall of Fame, being inducted next weekend, but he also did lose the job and had to achieve greatness at a different one.<\/p>\nThe Bears fan base and beyond may be similarly premature in presuming that Roquan Smith, the Georgia linebacker chosen No. 8 overall by the Bears, will be an automatic starter when he and the organization resolve one of the only remaining contract impasses from the 2018 draft class.<\/p>\nThe reason is Nick Kwiatkoski, the third-year linebacker and former West Virginia teammate of wide receiver Kevin White, who has quietly taken over at inside linebacker with Smith absent and Danny Trevathan missing all of camp to this point with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\nKwiatkoski has done far, far more than keep an inside-linebacker seat warm for either Smith or Trevathan. He has set the seat on fire.<\/p>\nBesides directing a defense that has repeatedly stuffed what was a respectable running game even in the dismal 2017 (4.2 yards per carry), Kwiatkoski intercepted quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the second time on Saturday, dropping into coverage, reading the quarterback, grabbing the throw and taking it into the end zone during the first live-action 11-on-11 session of practice.<\/p>\n\u201cI told [everyone] this at the beginning: You\u2019ve got to earn your spot,\u201d said coach Matt Nagy. \u201cKwit right now is playing really well. You saw the \u2018pick\u2019 today that he had; he\u2019s thumping people in the run game. I love his mentality.<\/p>\n\u201cHe didn\u2019t blink when we drafted Roquan. He stepped right on in there and put the horse blinders on and went after it. That\u2019s where we\u2019re at right now. I\u2019m excited for him, I\u2019m proud of him and I just want to keep that going.\u201d<\/p>\nSmith remains unsigned through the eight practices of camp as the two side over language brought about by a rules change that establishes stern consequences, including possible suspensions, for a player initiating contact with his helmet.<\/p>\nThe issue, as first laid out by Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk, is whether the team would be entitled to take back some of Smith\u2019s guaranteed money in the event that he were to be suspended. The infraction carries with it stepped-up penalties, from a 15-yard walk-off to ejection to suspension, depending upon league review. Smith\u2019s representatives are seeking a formal inclusion of protection for the linebacker, a highly mobile player drafted because of his impact tackling in college but who now is entering an NFL where even established players and officials aren\u2019t entirely sure how the incidents will be judged.<\/p>\nIn the meantime, Kwiatkoski isn\u2019t holding the door for Smith, nor for Trevathan, who started five games alongside Kwiatkoski last season. Kwiatkoski started six games last season and seven in 2016 when Jerrell Freeman was unavailable due to injury or suspension.<\/p>\nRight now, it is his job to lose and he\u2019s not losing it, with one of the best camps among Bears defensive players.<\/p>\n\u201cI feel like I\u2019m having a pretty good camp,\u201d said the 2016 fourth-round pick out of West Virginia. \u201cI mean it\u2019s hard to say. When I go back and watch the film, there\u2019s definitely mistakes there, things I need to work on, but overall feel like I\u2019m getting better.\u201d<\/p>\nHe has resisted any impulse to make the situation into anything apocalyptic as far as a chance to cement himself in as a starter. He also understands the sometimes-cruel vagaries of the business, on and off the field.<\/p>\nKwiatkoski was given a start in game two last season, delivered 4 tackles in the first quarter but then went down with a chest injury that kept him out for the next five weeks. His rookie season started badly with a severe hamstring injury the first day of practice in training camp. He rebounded from that to play in the last 14 games of 2016.<\/p>\n\u201cJust from my past couple years, you never really know what\u2019s going to happen so you can\u2019t really look ahead,\u201d Kwiatkoski said. \u201c[I\u2019m] just coming out here every day, getting better as an individual, as a defense and just building each day.\u201d<\/p>\n"
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Bears

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Bears coaches once made a mistake, handing Brian Urlacher a starting job at outside linebacker on the day he was drafted. Urlacher did wind up in the Hall of Fame, being inducted next weekend, but he also did lose the job and had to achieve greatness at a different one.

The Bears fan base and beyond may be similarly premature in presuming that Roquan Smith, the Georgia linebacker chosen No. 8 overall by the Bears, will be an automatic starter when he and the organization resolve one of the only remaining contract impasses from the 2018 draft class.

The reason is Nick Kwiatkoski, the third-year linebacker and former West Virginia teammate of wide receiver Kevin White, who has quietly taken over at inside linebacker with Smith absent and Danny Trevathan missing all of camp to this point with a hamstring injury.

Kwiatkoski has done far, far more than keep an inside-linebacker seat warm for either Smith or Trevathan. He has set the seat on fire.

Besides directing a defense that has repeatedly stuffed what was a respectable running game even in the dismal 2017 (4.2 yards per carry), Kwiatkoski intercepted quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the second time on Saturday, dropping into coverage, reading the quarterback, grabbing the throw and taking it into the end zone during the first live-action 11-on-11 session of practice.

“I told [everyone] this at the beginning: You’ve got to earn your spot,” said coach Matt Nagy. “Kwit right now is playing really well. You saw the ‘pick’ today that he had; he’s thumping people in the run game. I love his mentality.

“He didn’t blink when we drafted Roquan. He stepped right on in there and put the horse blinders on and went after it. That’s where we’re at right now. I’m excited for him, I’m proud of him and I just want to keep that going.”

Smith remains unsigned through the eight practices of camp as the two side over language brought about by a rules change that establishes stern consequences, including possible suspensions, for a player initiating contact with his helmet.

The issue, as first laid out by Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk, is whether the team would be entitled to take back some of Smith’s guaranteed money in the event that he were to be suspended. The infraction carries with it stepped-up penalties, from a 15-yard walk-off to ejection to suspension, depending upon league review. Smith’s representatives are seeking a formal inclusion of protection for the linebacker, a highly mobile player drafted because of his impact tackling in college but who now is entering an NFL where even established players and officials aren’t entirely sure how the incidents will be judged.

In the meantime, Kwiatkoski isn’t holding the door for Smith, nor for Trevathan, who started five games alongside Kwiatkoski last season. Kwiatkoski started six games last season and seven in 2016 when Jerrell Freeman was unavailable due to injury or suspension.

Right now, it is his job to lose and he’s not losing it, with one of the best camps among Bears defensive players.

“I feel like I’m having a pretty good camp,” said the 2016 fourth-round pick out of West Virginia. “I mean it’s hard to say. When I go back and watch the film, there’s definitely mistakes there, things I need to work on, but overall feel like I’m getting better.”

He has resisted any impulse to make the situation into anything apocalyptic as far as a chance to cement himself in as a starter. He also understands the sometimes-cruel vagaries of the business, on and off the field.

Kwiatkoski was given a start in game two last season, delivered 4 tackles in the first quarter but then went down with a chest injury that kept him out for the next five weeks. His rookie season started badly with a severe hamstring injury the first day of practice in training camp. He rebounded from that to play in the last 14 games of 2016.

“Just from my past couple years, you never really know what’s going to happen so you can’t really look ahead,” Kwiatkoski said. “[I’m] just coming out here every day, getting better as an individual, as a defense and just building each day.”