WEDNESDAY, 7:35pm: The contract is a two-year deal worth $7MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
5:46pm: The Raiders announced on Twitter that the deal is official.
TUESDAY, 3:48pm: Flush with salary cap space, the Raiders are starting to bring in some more talent after missing on some key targets during “soft free agency” this weekend. Former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith will join the Raiders’ strong young linebacking corps, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted.
Terms of the impending deal have not been disclosed, but it appears the four-year veteran will join Khalil Mack and Sio Moore on the Raiders’ second level.
Most known for his game-breaking interception of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII last February, Smith was not a regular starter with the Seahawks. A 2011 seventh-round pick, Smith started five games last year and played just 286 snaps, receiving a poor assessment from Pro Football Focus in the process (subscription required). Smith did grade far better in 2013, however, in more than 600 snaps.
Smith does offer value in having experience at all three positions in a 4-3 defense at linebacker, although the former USC product primarily played weakside backer for the loaded Seattle corps the past two seasons.