Oakland Raiders: Aldon Smith Signing Sends Wrong Message

By Jonathan George | Sep 11, 2015

On Friday, it was reported by ESPN’S Bill Williamson that Aldon Smith and the Oakland Raiders had agreed to a 1 year deal. Smith, the talented pass rusher who’s off-the-field trouble is well documented, has decided on playing for the Raiders instead of several other teams, as he apparently had multiple offers on the table. On the surface, this deal makes sense in terms of Smith’s playing abilities. In the end, however, signing him sends the wrong message to both the team and fans.

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Both Raiders general manager Reggie MacKenzie and head coach Jack Del Rio, up until this point, have made it clear that they will not tolerate any distractions on their team. Whether it be on the field or off of it, the Raiders want to put the “high risk” signings and troubled player issues behind them. Gone are guys like Randy Moss and more recently Sio Moore; the message is supposedly that players that don’t go with the program are not long for this team.

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Unfortunately, Oakland has contradicted this message with the decision to bring in Aldon Smith and integrate him into the locker room. Sure, if and when he plays, Smith has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with; his first few seasons with the 49ers were evidence of that, as he recorded double-digit sacks while helping San Francisco make deep playoff runs.

The problem is that Aldon Smith has shown he is a ticking time bomb of off-the-field problems, a bomb that could cause Raider collateral damage if the team relies on him for any real help. It’s why he isn’t worth the risk no matter what he does on-the-field.

Smith has been arrested multiple times for various bad choices since he came into the NFL in 2011 as a 1st round pick of the 49ers. Some of those choices have allegedly involved alcohol, which has caused him to already miss games via suspensions. The latest brush with the law, an arrest in August, could result in a year-long suspension for Smith. He is the equivalent of pro football plutonium right now.

The Raiders, if they are smart, probably signed Smith to a very low risk deal that protects the team in the event Smith is suspended for the season or any part of it. But the question remains: why inject the type of risk Aldon Smith brings with him into a team you are trying to change the culture of, especially right before the season starts? What kind of message does this send to the guys that have fought hard to make the team and are preparing for this Sunday?

The problem is that Aldon Smith has shown he is a ticking time bomb of off-the-field problems, a bomb that could cause Raider collateral damage if the team relies on him for any real help.

Whether Smith ever sees the field while wearing the silver and black or not, the bottom line is that this move feels like a grasp at the greatness Smith had several years ago. Even if he somehow returns and has a great bounce back type of season for the Raiders, it sends a bad message to the rest of the team: talent trumps everything else.

Oakland made the wrong decision to sign Smith. They chose to ignore his bad behavior for a chance at “stealing” 1st round talent for a likely low-cost. Hopefully it won’t come back to bite them down the road.

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