Smith’s suspension blindsides players
Players have tunnel vision once a season starts.
That, perhaps, explains why most of Aldon Smith’s Raiders teammates — young (Derek Carr) and old (Charles Woodson) alike — were caught completely off guard Tuesday when the linebacker was suspended for a year by the NFL and said goodbye.
“When we signed him, I thought it was done with,” Carr said Wednesday before practice. “I had no clue (the suspension) was going to happen, so that was hard, but it is what it is.”
Smith was banned for violating the league’s substanceabuse policy after being arrested Aug. 6 on drunkendriving charges — his third such arrest (and fifth overall) since 2012.
Though the players and coaches must move on and get ready for Sunday’s game in Detroit without one of their top pass rushers, there is concern over how Smith will handle himself.
“As an organization, we’re going to do everything we can to support him,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “There’s not a lot you can do when you’re basically told that you can’t contact him, he can’t be part of the team.”
Smith isn’t allowed to be at
the Raiders’ Alameda facility or re-sign with the team until his suspension is up in a year. He can apply for reinstatement to the league in 10 months.
The Raiders believe Smith, who became a popular player in the locker room during his nine games with Oakland after the 49ers cut him in August, wants to come back next season — and they want him back.
“It’s been tough,” defensive end Khalil Mack said. “It’s been tough for everybody. On the bright side of it, we’ll be more than happy to get him back next year. But right now, the grind continues. He’ll be mad if we let that ball drop.”
Smith, who missed training camp after the 49ers released him, got off to a slow start with the Raiders, but he had been playing better of late with sacks in each of his past two games.
“It’s always great when you have someone like him outside who draws double-teams and triple-teams and helps free you up sometimes,” rookie defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. said. “We’re definitely going to miss him a lot in the pass-rushing game.”
Del Rio told the players to treat Smith’s vanishing as just another injury.
“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. … I understand the desire to know, but it doesn’t help us, our football team, to put Raider business out there.”
Edwards could be a key 285-pound piece to the puzzle, as he has played well both inside at tackle and outside at defensive end opposite Mack. The coaching staff has also used third-year veteran Benson Mayowa at both defensive end and outside linebacker.
“We’re happy to have (Mayowa) back,” Del Rio said. “He was a little nicked up earlier in the year. I feel like he’s been rounding into shape. We’re counting on him to be able to help fill that gap.”
Hudson still out: Meanwhile, center Rodney Hudson watched practice again Wednesday with a sprained ankle. He missed Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, and the Raiders’ pass-blocking and run game struggled at times without him.