The news of the suspension is a huge blow to the Raiders that chose to gamble on the trouble-magnet Smith, since the team badly needed his talents.
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As the season presses on, head coach Jack Del Rio and Norton must push to solve their problems against the run, for their woes in the passing game are already too much to overcome. “There isn’t a whole lot you can do when you’ve been told you can’t have contact and he can’t be part of the team”. The penalty was severe because he was a repeat offender.
ALAMEDA – Ever since Aldon Smith signed with the Oakland Raiders just before the start of the season, the prospect of a league-imposed suspension was a cloud over him.
It would’ve been next to impossible for the now-suspended Smith to single-handedly turn the Raiders defensive woes around. If Greg Hardy is on an National Football League roster, Aldon Smith certainly will be.
There will be counseling and random drug tests. Smith can apply for reinstatement 60 days prior to a calendar year, but the suspension would likely stay in place if he has any slip-ups in the program. Aldon Smith, for instance, never recorded a sack in games that Justin Smith missed or played injured.
Players will be free to maintain a relationship with Smith away from the facility. Quarterback Derek Carr is quickly becoming one of the brightest and most prolific passers in the game, with running back Latavius Murray and rookie receiver Amari Cooper rounding out the league’s ninth-highest scoring attack. “I’m sure our coaches are going to do a great job of scheming and coming up with things to help make up for his absence”.
“I don’t think after he signed, nobody even gave it much thought about it even being a possibility of him being suspended”, Woodson said on a conference call with Detroit media ahead of Sunday’s game with the Lions. “So I’m pretty shocked, much like everybody else”.
As reported on Tuesday, the suspension administered to Smith was confirmed by the Raiders with a statement. He was a key part of Oakland’s pass rush on the other side of edge rusher Khalil Mack, and was stout setting the edge against the run.
“You kind of knew something was going eventually to happen”, Mack said.
Though Oakland would assumedly be taking a step forward with Heeney being moved up the depth chart, the Raiders are involuntarily taking a step in the opposite direction with the loss of Aldon Smith.
The Raiders are still well within striking distance of 5-4 Buffalo and the NY Jets for the final AFC wild card slot, but their final seven games will push both offense and defense to the brink.
Del Rio would not divulge how he planned to replace Smith.
“The bottom line is, we move on, we go with the “next man up” mentality and carry on with our business”, Del Rio said.
When asked whom he would plug in, Del Rio said, “a capable player …” That group has combined for three sacks, one each by Arik Armstead, Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial. Last year, the team’s defensive linemen combined for 14 of the team’s 36 sacks.
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Tight end Lee Smith also missed Wednesday’s practice with a wrist injury, while safety Charles Woodson (shoulder) took his normal Wednesday off and linebacker Neiron Ball (knee) remains out.
