5 things to be grateful for on Thanksgiving as a Baltimore Ravens fan

2. The Baltimore Ravens traded for Roquan Smith 

When the Baltimore Ravens traded for Roquan Smith, it looked like a risky decision. The team had a good defense, but could he take them over the top, and would they be able to work out a new deal for the impending free agent? As it turns out, everything went much better than possibly expected. 

Roquan Smith has ignited the defense. Two players he has impacted the most are Kyle Hamilton and Patrick Queen. He has given Hamilton the ability to roam and play a unique role and has helped Queen by taking away the reading of the defense. Queen just sees it and goes now and is playing much faster.

The Ravens locked him down long-term, and while they will be strapped in the future, they still got the Lamar Jackson deal done as well. 

The Ravens traded a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick to the Bears for Smith. We do not know who the Ravens would have taken, but the Bears drafted Gervon Dexter and Noah Sewell. Sewell plays special teams, while Dexter is a rotational player who has not done much as a rookie.

The cost seemed like a lot at the time, but a franchise changer for those two pieces makes plenty of sense in retrospect. Fans have to love that.