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Oakland Raiders: Aldon Smith Applies For Reinstatement, Mario Edwards Jr. Could Return Too

By Pete Camarillo
Published on: 18:21 PST, Oct 27, 2016

Oakland Raiders edge rusher Aldon Smith has applied for reinstatement, according to Raiders’ general manager Reggie McKenzie,and Mario Edwards Jr. could return from injury too.

McKenzie said Smith is doing well via an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. However, he did not give any timetable for the 27-year-old Smith’s return to the Raiders.

“That situation is going to be totally up to the league because he’s been in the program and they’ve monitored him. It’s up to Goodell to say yah, nay or when. And he could say no to everything… that part is out of our hands,” McKenzie said per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Smith’s return from a one-year suspension for violating the league’s substance could happen after Nov. 17. He was eligible to officially apply for league reinstatement 60 days before that date.

The Raiders general manager also said Aldon will have to sit down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, at some point.

Further, Goodell and the league will take everything into consideration before reinstating Smith. No date has been set yet for that meeting, according to ESPN.com

CBS Sports reports that some NFLPA sources believe Smith could play with the Raiders in a matter of weeks, as long as he does not do anything to mess up his playing status before then.

Either way, Oakland can not directly contact Smith while he is under suspension. The Raiders can keep tabs on him through his agent, according to Pro Football Talk.

Nonetheless, McKenzie said Smith is working out and getting ready, after completing voluntary treatment.

“He is in a great place and that’s the main thing,” McKenzie said via CSN Bay Area. “…But I would hope that we as a league reward a guy — with stipulations — who goes through the right steps and wants to get better and get his life in order.”

Further, the Raiders have supported Smith during his time there. Numerous team sources have said Smith is a good teammate, per CBS Sports.

Despite him being suspended at the time, the Raiders rewarded him with a contract in the spring. The two-year contract with a $5.75 annual salary average, per Over the Cap, kicks in when Smith is reinstated.

In August, McKenzie said the team cared about Smith as a person. The general manager said the team was not going to bail on him, but he had to do his part, per The Mercury News.

Smith entered a treatment center in July after a questionable video surfaced on social media. Smith denied that he was in the marijuana smoking video via Twitter.

However, the SF Chronicle sources said the league has investigated the video. Per ESPN, the NFL will investigate whether Smith violated the protocols required of a suspended player seeking reinstatement.

This was Smith’s second time in rehab since 2013. He underwent treatment at an in-patient facility following his DUI arrest in that September, according to ESPN. Aldon Smith also received a nine-game suspension for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policy.

Then, Aldon Smith was released by the 49ers in August of 2015. This came after his latest run-in with the law when he was arrested for suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run, and vandalism. Oakland later signed him before Week One of 2015.

On the field, Smith brings a unique ability to rush the passer. The 2011 first-round pick had 44.5 sacks in 50 games with the San Francisco 49ers. Smith registered 3.5 sacks in nine games with the Raiders.

Currently, the Raiders rank 28th in sacks with nine for the year. That puts them on pace for 21 sacks, which would be 17 less than last year when they finished 14th in the league.

It’s easy to see that Oakland misses Aldon Smith’s athleticism and instincts on the edge, opposite Khalil Mack. This season, Oakland is last in total defense and passing yards allowed. They are also 28th against the run and 25th in points allowed.

The Oakland Raiders could also get a boost on their defense from second-year player Mario Edwards Jr.

Edwards joined the team in Florida on Thursday, despite not being seen at practice, per the Mercury News. Edwards remains on injured reserve after a hip injury suffered in the preseason. However, the Raiders plan to designate Edwards as their one player who can be activated from IR.

Edwards must sit out the first eight games, but he was eligible to begin practicing last week. Once the Raiders place the return designation on him, they have 21 days to activate him or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.

“When he’s cleared, he’ll go,” Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said via the Mercury News. “Until then, he’s going to do stuff, whether it’s on the side or with the trainers and the doctors like all players that are in that designation where doctors have control.”

Both Smith and Edwards could potentially play in the Raiders’ Monday Night Football game versus the Houston Texans in Mexico City.

Hence, the Oakland Raiders could be getting the pass rush they desperately need thanks to Aldon Smith and Mario Edwards Jr.

[Featured Image by Ben Margot/AP Images]

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