Aldon Smith Reportedly Will Re-Sign with Oakland Raiders

After Aldon Smith's one-year NFL suspension is complete in November, it seems the linebacker will still have a place in the Oakland Raiders organization. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the "Raiders and [Smith] have agreement in place, source told ESPN. Smith was spotted at team building today, trying to finalize deal."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com first reported on March 21 that the 26-year-old "remains in [the] Raiders' plans," although general manager Reggie McKenzie said at the time he was in "no rush" to re-sign the unrestricted free agent.  

The main reason Smith is on the Raiders' radar but not a top priority is because the team wants to see if he has cleaned up his act off the field, per Maiocco.

Smith's suspension stemmed from a violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy, and he's had five "run-ins" with the law since being drafted in 2011, per Maiocco. However, McKenzie said talks with Smith had been going well.

“The conversations have been good,” McKenzie said at the NFL owners' meetings, per Maiocco. “Really, it’s encouraging him as a person to continue to get his life right. And if you’re going to commit to this thing, you have to go through some steps. And that’s what he’s going through right now.”

After four years with the San Francisco 49ers, Smith recorded 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks in nine games with the Raiders in 2015 before being suspended. The 2012 first-team All-Pro out of the University of Missouri has shown he can be a force in the league, as he recorded 44 sacks in just 50 games with the 49ers.

Smith could become a part of one of the league's most improved—and dangerous—defenses after the offseason signings of cornerback Sean Smith and pass-rusher Bruce Irvin in addition to the uber-talented linebacker Khalil Mack.

Maurice Moton of NFL Spin Zone thinks a Smith re-signing is good for the team in the short term but that it could financially affect it in the long run:

In addition to cost, it can be a risk to sign a player with off-field issues, but if Oakland feels the linebacker is on the path to recovery and can help the team, there is no reason to think the Raiders can't compete for the AFC West title in 2016.