Raiders Sign Aldon Smith to 1-Year Deal

In a Friday news drop out of left field, the Oakland Raiders inked Aldon Smith to a one-year deal. Jason Cole from Bleacher Report was first to report the signing.

What might be even more surprising is that Aldon chose to sign with the Raiders even though he was being offered more money by several other teams. The Buccaneers, Jaguars and Rams were the other teams in the mix, according to Ian Rapoport.

The deal is worth up to $8M including roster incentives.

A star player choosing to sign with the Raiders for less money certainly isn’t something the team is used to, but it’s definitely a sign that things are changing in Oakland.

Sure, being able to stay in the Bay Area may have been a big factor in why Aldon chose the Raiders, but Peter Schrager of Fox Sports says that Ken Norton Jr. played a big role in Smith choosing to sign with the Raiders.

While legal issues still need to be resolved, on the field, there is no question that Smith, assuming he can play this season, will have a huge impact on the defense. Paired with Khalil Mack, the duo form what potentially can be the best pass-rushing tandem in the entire league.

Not long after the signing was made official, the Santa Clara DA office formally charged Smith with three misdemeanor offenses.

Smith will have an arraignment on October 6th, so it’s likely that if there will be a suspension, it won’t take place until after that date. Although the NFL has an inconsistent track record with handing out punishments, so anything can happen here.

But if that October 6th arraignment date means anything, Aldon should be eligible to play in Sunday’s opener versus the Cincinnati Bengals, and also the following three weeks versus the Ravens, Browns and Bears.

Aldon was even out at practice today, as shown below.

Jack Del Rio declined to say whether Aldon will play on Sunday, but if he’s eligible, it would be a huge surprise if he didn’t suit up.

The team released a statement on the signing, with quotes from Del Rio and Reggie McKenzie included.

"“Aldon is an extremely talented young player,” said Del Rio. “We welcome him to the Raiders family and expect him to bring his best every day and be a great teammate.”"

McKenzie is confident the team has enough veteran leadership to allow Smith to thrive.

"“We are confident that the Raiders provide an environment where Aldon can thrive through the support, structure and leadership within the building,” McKenzie said. “We are excited to have Aldon here in the Raiders family.”"

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