When the Chicago Bears traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens back in 2022, it sent shockwaves through Halas Hall. For tight end Cole Kmet, then in his third season with the team, the deal was more than just another roster move, it was a moment of realization about the harsh realities of professional football.

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"It was almost disbelief," Kmet said via Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. "You just couldn't believe it. It was kind of my first moment of realizing stuff has changed over from Ryan (Pace) to Ryan (Poles). It was a realization that really, at the end of the day, anybody is up for grabs."

Trading away Smith, who had been a team captain and the leader of the defense, came shortly after the Bears also dealt veteran defen

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