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Oakland Raiders: Free Agents The Team Should Make A Run At This Offseason

By Kevin Saito

Sep 30, 2014; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie at a press conference to introduce Tony Sparano (not pictured) as Raiders interim coach at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2014; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie at a press conference to introduce Tony Sparano (not pictured) as Raiders interim coach at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Chiefs 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Sean Smith

Kansas City would love to retain Sean Smith. Sean Smith might like to return to the Chiefs if the price is right.

Some among the Chiefs fan base have already bid adieu to Smith, acknowledging the team might not be able to keep him. Some have tried to soften the blow by painting him as not incredibly important to the team’s defense, calling him the “third best DB” behind Eric Berry and Marcus Peters.

Obviously, the Chiefs showed where their priority was by slapping Berry with the franchise tag and letting Smith hit the open market, gambling that they’ll be able to work out a deal with him. And they might. But it also might be a calculation that comes back to bite the Chiefs in the backside.

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    • With Smith being allowed to negotiate freely with other teams, McKenzie would be a fool not to make a very strong push to sign him. Oakland desperately needs a cornerback to pair with last year’s surprise pick up, David Amerson. A tandem of Smith and Amerson would immediately upgrade Oakland’s secondary and make it a more formidable unit rather than the sieve it was prior to Amerson’s arrival last season.

    It would also give the team some flexibility. With Smith and Amerson starting on either side of the field, Travis Carrie would likely move into the slot role. Or they could move Carrie to safety, where they tested him out last season to largely positive results. Allowing Carrie to focus on the one position might be a very smart move. That would then allow them to use some combination of D.J. Hayden, Keith McGill, and possibly Neiko Thorpe in the slot. Or they could move Hayden and/or McGill to safety.

    The secondary would have plenty of solid options and maximum flexibility if they were to sign Smith. They would have a solid, established cornerback with the size (6’2”, 215 lbs.) that Norton likes and would be a solid fit in his system.

    Signing Smith makes all the sense in the world. It also has the added benefit of weakening a division rival. McKenzie needs to pull out all the stops and get this guy to Oakland.

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