Oakland Raiders: A Few Names To Keep, A Few To Dump Ahead Of 2018

Dump: Sean Smith

It seems like a foregone conclusion to say that Sean Smith isn’t going to be wearing a Silver and Black jersey next season.

His current legal status aside, given his play while in Oakland, as well as the $8 million dollar price tag that comes attached to him, the chances of Smith being a Raider next year are about as slim as a folded-up index card.

It’s unfortunate, because Smith is a lot better than he’s shown himself to be in the East Bay. In Kansas City, he was one of the better corners in the league. Which is what earned him that fat contract to begin with.

But, in coming to Oakland, he was saddled with a green defensive coordinator who was so desperate to re-create the Seattle defense, that he tried to shoehorn players into a system that didn’t play to their strengths. If anything, the system that former DC Ken Norton Jr. ran, exposed his players’ weaknesses.

And as a result, Smith has had an absolutely miserable two-year stint in Oakland and although he’s been playing better of late – golly, is it a coincidence Smith seems to be rebounding with John Pagano calling the shots? – it’s unfortunately, a case of too little too late.

Well, that, and having a contract the team will need to purge to free up space under the cap – mostly for Khalil Mack‘s impending mega-deal.

Though honestly, a change of scenery will probably do him some good, and will allow the Raiders to (hopefully) move forward and bring in some players who one, don’t come with as much baggage, two, will be a little more cost-friendly, and three, will help patch the holes in that porous secondary.