Dave: Aldon Smith to the Raiders? Yep...
Who would've thunk that a troubled player would leave the San Francisco 49ers to find solace and rebuild himself with the more stable Oakland Raiders…..
Several reports have über-talented linebacker Aldon Smith moving across the Bay and joining up with Khalil Mack to bring another dimension to the up-and-coming Raider defense.
The take on this is simple - if Smith can stay out of trouble and doesn't miss a giant chunk of time due to NFL punishment, this is a coup of huge proportions for the Silver and Black.
Sometimes a change of scenery is just what a person needs, but in this case, the on-field scenery wasn't really the issue. It was what happened outside the lines that got Smith in trouble multiple times. The assumption is, by staying in the same place geographically, he won't be changing much about his crowd and his home life.
It's certainly huge and somewhat surprising news, and will definitely add another cog to the Bay Area rivalry.
The other factor- there's no secret Niner boss Trent Baalke has strong ties to the player he originally drafted in Smith. Being able to do what the public wants him to do in letting Smith go, but being able to keep a close eye on him just miles away could serve a purpose.
Perhaps this is a one-year hiatus away from San Francisco. Perhaps Aldon Smith is just borrowing a Raider uniform for a year.
The plot thickens.
