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Roquan Smith’s demand was the path of most melodrama

Roquan Smith lost his Bears playbook before he ever set foot on their practice field four years ago. Days after Smith was drafted but before he reported for rookie minicamp, someone stole the Bears’ team-issued iPad out of his BMW back home in Georgia. The team had to wipe the iPad of Vic Fangio’s plays, remotely.

Maybe it was an omen: Smith’s career was bound to be melodramatic.

He missed the first 29 days of his first training camp — a total of 15 practices and two 2018 preseason games — while his then-agent wrestled with the Bears over contract language.