Aldon Smith - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Smith, Tyrod, Cutler, Steelers

February 14th, 2017 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Already under police investigation for an alleged domestic violence incident that took place last Saturday, Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith is now on the NFL’s radar, writes Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “We are looking in to the matter,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told McDonald in an email Tuesday. Smith has been serving a substance abuse suspension since November 2015 and has a chance to gain reinstatement in March, but the league could push back its decision or even hand him an indefinite ban as a result of his latest off-field issue, per McDonald.

Elsewhere in the AFC…

If the Bills move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, they should sign soon-to-be released Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler to replace him, opines Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com in a piece focusing on potential offseason moves in the AFC East. Tony Romo or Jimmy Garoppolo are more appealing choices, Barnwell acknowledges, but he doesn’t expect the former to sign in Buffalo (if the Cowboys cut him) or the Patriots to trade the latter within the division. If those two are unattainable, the draft could be an option, though Barnwell argues that the Bills shouldn’t reach for a QB with the 10th overall pick. That would leave Cutler as the most logical solution. Not only would he come on a short-term deal, but he’d reunite with new Bills offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Cutler played under Dennison in Denver and has spoken highly of him in the past.
Speaking of Taylor, the Browns’ hiring of his former quarterbacks coach, David Lee, increased the passer’s odds of ending up in Cleveland, contends Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Taylor, who’s on the Browns’ “radar,” played under Lee in Buffalo the past two seasons and fared respectably in his first 29 games as a starter. The former Baltimore backup would replace Robert Griffin III, whom Cabot expects the Browns to release before his roster bonus is due March 11.
The Steelers’ contract talks with wide receiver Antonio Brown and linebacker Lawrence Timmons don’t figure to move quickly, tweets CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who expects running back Le’Veon Bell to be their biggest priority. Unlike Brown, who has another year on his deal, both Timmons and Bell could become free agents next month. Bell is clearly the more valuable of the two, of course, and the Steelers will place the franchise tag on the runner if they’re unable to re-sign him.

Aldon Smith Under Police Investigation

February 13th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Troubled Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith is under “active” police investigation for an alleged domestic violence incident that took place over the weekend, according to TMZ. Police responded to a phone call placed from a San Francisco home early Saturday morning and took a report after speaking to Smith and the alleged victim. Smith was not arrested.

If anything comes of the police investigation, it could be a death blow to Smith’s NFL career. The 27-year-old has already accrued five arrests since entering the NFL as the 49ers’ first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in 2011. He’s also amid his second suspension, one that cost him a significant portion of the 2015 season and the entire 2016 campaign. Smith’s latest ban came after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and he’s currently on track to gain reinstatement in March. But another serious off-field slip-up before then – which this could be – would surely prevent the league from allowing him to return.

While Smith is under Raiders control through next season, team owner Mark Davis has taken a strong stand against domestic violence, as Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News notes (Twitter link). As evidenced in the cases of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Josh Brown, all of whom were in the news for domestic violence incidents in recent years, it’s difficult to find work in the league these days with such a black mark on your resume. Like Hardy, Smith has been especially productive on the field. In 59 career regular-season games, Smith has amassed 47.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, though his immense talent has largely gone to waste over the past couple years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Aldon Smith To Be Reinstated In March

February 5th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Parks

As long as he does not suffer any further setbacks in the league’s drug program, Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith will be reinstated in March, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Of course, Smith was eligible to be reinstated from his latest suspension back in November, but the league deferred his request in December, opting to table its decision until the early part of the 2017 league year. Smith is under Raiders’ control through the 2017 season, so he will have the opportunity to put his off-field struggles behind him, reestablish himself as a pass rusher, and set himself up for a nice payday in 2018.

But that will be a tall order for a player who, for all his talent, has been largely unable to keep himself out of trouble. Indeed, Smith’s most recent suspension, a one-year ban, stemmed from his August 2015 arrest on drunken driving, hit and run, and vandalism charges. That was the fifth time Smith had been arrested since he entered the league as the seventh overall pick of the 2011 draft. The 49ers, who drafted Smith and who reaped the benefits of his fearsome pass rush ability for several seasons, had simply had enough at that point, and they cut Smith shortly after the arrest.

He was subsequently scooped up by the Raiders, and he posted 3.5 sacks for Oakland in nine games during the 2015 season before being hit with the one-year suspension (he also served a nine-game ban in 2013 for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies). Despite that, Oakland handed Smith a two-year, $11.5MM deal last spring, and GM Reggie McKenzie has repeatedly expressed support for the troubled young talent.

In just 59 career games, Smith has racked up 47.5 sacks, so if he is able to stay on the field in 2017, he and newly-minted Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack could give opposing quarterbacks fits next season.

NFC Notes: Palmer, 49ers, Saints, Bears

January 31st, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cardinals don’t know if quarterback Carson Palmer will return in 2017 for what would be his age-37 season, but one new rumbling on the three-time Pro Bowler could be cause for pessimism. Palmer has put his Arizona home up for sale, pulled his kids out of school and relocated to another state, Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 hears (Twitter link via one of Jurecki’s colleagues, Jody Oehler). But Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic has radically different information, tweeting that Palmer has not put his house up for sale. For now, Palmer is under contract through 2018 and set to rake in a $15MM base salary next season.

NFL Won’t Reinstate Raiders LB Aldon Smith

December 30th, 2016 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will not be reinstating Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith this season, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The commissioner will revisit the case on March 15, 2017.

Smith was suspended in November 2015 and has been eligible to return for several weeks now. His camp was pushing Roger Goodell to reach a decision on the matter, but for one reason or another, the league office will table things until the early part of the 2017 league year. Meanwhile, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is playing as he appeals his one-year suspension from the league. The two situations are not exactly identical, but the disparity does not sit well with many fans.

Smith has had multiple run-ins with the league’s substance abuse policy and his latest slip-up led to him spending roughly four months in a rehab clinic. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie indicated in October that Smith’s issues are under control after treatment. Of course, there are two sides to every story and it is possible that Smith has not fulfilled all of the prerequisites for reinstatement.

The Raiders have secured their spot in the playoffs, but they’ll have to forge ahead without the services of Smith or quarterback Derek Carr. On the plus side, they can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed this weekend if they beat the Broncos and the Patriots fall to the Dolphins.

Per the terms of the two-year extension signed with Oakland in April 2016, Smith is under contract with the Raiders through 2017.

West Notes: Raiders, Fisher, Rams, Broncos

December 16th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Suspended Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith is “mad and frustrated” about the way his reinstatement bid has stalled, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Smith applied for a return in October, just under a year after the league handed him a one-year ban for a substance abuse violation. That year has since passed, but there’s still no word on Smith’s future. “He is losing hope,” Smith’s personal trainer, Steve Fotion, told Tafur. “They are jerking him around, telling him they’ll have an answer for him on Monday. And then nothing. It seems unprofessional.” Smith has “been randomly drug-tested and they have all come back clean,” Fotion added. The 27-year-old pass rusher met with commissioner Roger Goodell last Friday. Goodell acknowledged that meeting earlier this week, though he didn’t offer details on when he’ll decide Smith’s fate.

More on the Silver and Black and a couple other franchises:

There was a report earlier this week pointing to disharmony between Raiders owner Mark Davis and Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, but team officials had a productive meeting with Adelson at his office Thursday. “Both are working very hard to finalize a deal,” tweeted Clark County (Nev.) Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, who was also in attendance. Further, Sisolak dismissed the idea that Davis and Adelson don’t get along, writes Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Raiders remain focused on Vegas relocation, which the league could vote on in March, and don’t regard the city of Oakland’s $1.3 billion stadium plan as economically viable.
Former Rams head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t believe the team ever intended to keep him in place for its 2019 move to a new stadium in Inglewood, he told FOX Sports’ Charissa Thompson (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). “He didn’t win enough games, and the organization has a much bigger picture,” Fisher said on why the Rams fired him Monday. “And I don’t think I was ever part of seeing the new stadium.” Had the Rams experienced more success under Fisher, perhaps he could have been at the helm when they shifted to their new facility. The club went just 31-45-1 with Fisher, though, and its 4-8 start this year was enough for owner Stan Kroenke to go in another direction.
The Broncos worked out punter A.J. Hughes on Thursday, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Notably, the team already has a capable option in Riley Dixon, who ranks seventh in the league in net yards per punt (41.2) and 11th in punts inside the 20 (twenty-two). As of earlier this month, his net average was the highest ever for a rookie, per Broncos vice president of public relations Patrick Smyth (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Colts, Raiders, Cards, Bears

December 14th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colts owner Jim Irsay unexpectedly awarded four-year contract extensions to general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano last winter. Now, in the midst of a second straight disappointing season, Irsay gave somewhat flimsy votes of confidence to the pair Wednesday. “Honestly, at the end of every season, we sit down and review where we’re at,” he told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “I don’t have any anticipation of change. There’s no plan of that. We’ll evaluate everything. I will.” On the possibility of the 6-7 Colts missing the postseason, Irsay commented, “This is the first time in almost 20 years we (wouldn’t have) made the playoffs in back-to-back years. That’s extremely disappointing.” Despite their sub-.500 record, the Colts remain in contention in the weak AFC South, though they’re going to have to leapfrog both the Texans and Titans over the season’s final three weeks to win the division. Indianapolis dropped its two matchups against the Texans this year, including a 22-17 loss last Sunday, but swept the Titans.

Aldon Smith Meets With Roger Goodell

December 9th, 2016 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

In what could be the first step towards his return, Raiders outside linebacker Aldon Smith met with commissioner Roger Goodell and other league officials today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, no decision will be made today. Since the business week ends today, it sounds like we will not have a verdict on Smith until Monday at the earliest. The timetable for the league’s ruling is not immediately clear.

Smith has had multiple run-ins with the league’s substance abuse policy and his latest slip-up led to him spending roughly four months in a rehab clinic. Under the terms of his suspension, Smith was eligible to apply for reinstatement on October 3rd in advance of his ban ending on November 17th. We’re now several weeks past that possible return date and the league has done little to advance his case. Today could be a breakthrough for the defensive star.

After last night’s loss to the Chiefs, the Raiders have slid to second place in the AFC West. Getting Smith back could help Oakland regain the divisional crown and make a strong postseason push.

No Deadline For Aldon Smith Decision

December 7th, 2016 at 9:13am CST by Zachary Links

According to some reports, the NFL is overdue for a determination on Aldon Smith‘s status. It has been said that the NFL has to decide within 60 days on a player’s application for reinstatement after violating the substance abuse policy and it has been more than two months since Smith filed the necessary paperwork. However, there is no deadline for the league to reach a decision on the Raiders linebacker, an NFL spokesman tells Mike Florio of PFT.

“No. All parties make every effort to be in a position for the league to make a decision within 60 days. Every step of the process must be completed,” the spokesman wrote in an email.

Smith applied for reinstatement 65 days ago, so the league apparently contends that they have made “every effort” to give the situation some closure, but they have yet to tie up all of the loose ends. Ultimately, the two sides may have different interpretations of the substance abuse policy’s Appendix B:

“All individuals involved in the process will take steps to enable the Commissioner to render a decision within 60 days of the receipt of the application [for reinstatement].”

The union may read that as a firm 60 day deadline for a decision while the league sees more flexibility in the language. The Raiders are eager to get Smith back on the field, but they may have to wait while a chess match is played out at 345 Park Avenue.

Raiders’ Aldon Smith Pushing For Return

December 5th, 2016 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Aldon Smith is pushing to return this season and he’s taking the first step towards getting back on the field. The Raiders linebacker is setting up a meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell or another high-ranking official to state his case for reinstatement, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The 60-day decision for Roger Goodell to make a decision on Smith has passed, but a decision is expected soon. Despite his missteps, Smith and his reps believe that they can make a compelling case for him to play this year. Goodell has a reputation for ruling with an iron fist, but he has shown a willingness to give second or third chances in the past. This year, he opened the door for Josh Gordon to return to the Browns early on in the year, though Gordon did not make good on his end of the bargain.

Smith was handed a one-year suspension November of last year. In the offseason, he inked a two-year, $11.5MM deal with Oakland that did not include any guaranteed money. The Raiders have been hopeful about getting him in uniform this year, but they have been doing pretty well without him. After their 38-24 win against the Bills, the Raiders are 10-2.