Bears' top draft choice not in camp as rookies report
Linebacker Roquan Smith, the Chicago Bears' first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, remains unsigned and did not report to training camp with the other rookies Monday, according to multiple reports.
Chicago's rookies were required to report Monday because the team is playing in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 2. The rest of the team is scheduled to report Thursday.
Smith, who went to Georgia, was chosen with the No. 8 overall pick in the draft. He won the Butkus Award in 2017 after a season in which he had 137 tackles and 6.5 sacks for the Bulldogs. He is expected to start for the Bears this season.
He remains one of 13 unsigned first-round draft picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Smith's salary will be set by the NFL rookie wage scale. The holdup in Smith's deal reportedly is offset language, which would outline the amount of money he'd receive if the Bears release him before his contract ends.
The Bears' top selection in the 2017 draft, Mitchell Trubisky, signed on the opening day of rookie camp last July.
--Field Level Media
