Raiders, Aldon Smith Reach Agreement

5:25pm: Smith’s two-year deal carries a base value of $11MM with a max value of $19.5MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Smith can boost the value of his deal through sack and Pro Bowl incentives. Smith won’t earn the full amount of that deal due to his suspension, but he’s still slated for a nice payday when he does get back to football.

2:17pm: It’s a two-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

12:58pm: The Raiders and free agent outside linebacker Aldon Smith have an agreement in place, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Schefter, Smith was spotted at the team’s facility today, attempting to put the finishing touches on a deal.Aldon Smith (vertical)

Although the Raiders and Smith can finalize a contract now, the veteran pass rusher will be ineligible to return to the field to begin the 2016 season. Last November, the NFL hit Smith with a suspension of at least one calendar year, meaning he can’t be reinstated until November 2016 at the earliest.

In nine games for the Raiders last season, Smith racked up 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. When healthy and on the field, Smith can be one of the league’s most effective pass rushers, as he exhibited during his first two years in the NFL. As a part-time player in his rookie season, the linebacker recorded 14 sacks, and he piled up another 19.5 as a starter in 2012, en route to a spot on the All-Pro first team.

However, Smith’s off-field issues limited his production in 2013 and 2014 — he missed nearly half the Niners’ games over that span after entering a rehabilitation facility in 2013 and serving a nine-game suspension in 2014. The Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Rams also made contract offers to Smith prior to the 2015 season and reportedly offered more money, but Smith chose to sign with Oakland partially because of its proximity to his Bay Area home. Given his proclivity for the Bay Area, it’s not a surprise to see him re-up with Oakland.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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