Eddie Jackson was PISSED when he heard Roquan Smith was traded

"Yeah, it's tough," tight end Cole Kmet said. "You know, Roquan more than anybody–kind of the lifeblood of the locker room really. So it's tough when you lose a guy like that."

One player after another in the locker room on Wednesday sounded like they had lost a best friend, if not a family member on Tuesday when Poles made the trade for second- and fifth-round draft picks.

"I couldn't believe it. I was in disbelief. I was shocked," safety Eddie Jackson said.

Jackson's immediate reaction after the shock wore off was predictable.

"The thoughts go through your head like, 'What are we playing for?' Is their vision still the same as the players?

"We're trying to make it to a Super Bowl, get to the playoffs, things like that."

However, Jackson said he understood the team's need to get something in return for Smith rather than lose him in free agency.

"Like I said, I'm not upstairs. I get it," he said. "I understand it. But it just hits different."