Oakland Raiders Get Some Good News But Still Need Some More Help

The Oakland Raiders defense may get a big boost with the reported return of Aldon Smith, but the defense still needs more help up front.

The Oakland Raiders may be getting a Christmas present early this year. Earlier today, it was widely reported that suspended linebacker Aldon Smith was expected to be reinstated by the league at some point in March – on the condition of course, that he doesn’t do anything stupid between now and then.

The presence of Smith in Oakland’s defensive front would significantly bolster a pass rush that recorded a league-low 25 sacks last season – with 18 of those sacks coming from AP Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack (11) and Bruce Irvin (7).

Getting Smith back is going to help the Raiders’ pass rush significantly, but it’s not going to be the magic elixir that cures all their woes.

What they need is to build along that interior line and get some help up the middle. Last season, the platoon of bodies Oakland ran out was unimpressive – to say the least. Dan Williams and Justin Ellis – who were supposed to be the foundation of that line – managed just half a sack between them.

Stacy McGee was hands down, Oakland’s most effective interior defensive lineman last season, notching 2.5 sacks and generally being a disruptive force. Unfortunately, McGee was limited to just nine games due to injury.

Sean Smith and David Amerson took a lot of heat last year – and some of it most decidedly deserved – but Oakland’s sometimes porous defense wasn’t entirely on them. The lack of pressure up the middle allowed opposing quarterbacks to sit back and pick apart Oakland’s secondary – which was a recurring theme all season long.

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When free agency opens in early March, the Raiders are going to have some options. With McGee being an unrestricted free agent himself, the team should make every effort to retain him given that he likely won’t command a hefty contract on the open market.

Outside of McGee though, there are some other free agents who might be worth a look, but given the mammoth contracts for Derek Carr and Khalil Mack that will be coming up very soon, don’t look for GM Reggie McKenzie to spend freely on the open market this offseason.

Though names like Dontari Poe, Nick Fairley, and Kawaan Short have been mentioned, the price tag on all three of them very well may make signing them a non-starter. It seems more likely that McKenzie will have to hope he can get more production out of Ellis, Williams, Darius Latham – who did show a bit of promise last year – and another young guy or two he might be able find in the draft.

Still, the impending return of Smith will pay big dividends for a pass rush that by and large, lacked a big time punch last season. If DC Ken Norton Jr. and the recently hired John Pagano can find a way to get Smith on the field at the same time as Mack and Irvin, Oakland’s pass rush will be that much more lethal.

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It will force teams into a really unenviable position – with Smith, Mack, and Irvin all coming after the quarterback, how will they pick them all up? And if Oakland can add some punch to the interior of that defensive line, the speed rushers are going to see fewer double teams and Oakland will see that team sack total rise significantly.

Getting Smith back into a Raiders jersey is great news. It’s going to make the defense that much more formidable. But getting some real help on that interior could make the defense elite.