NFL’s Decision On Aldon Smith Due This Week
Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith applied for reinstatement on October 3, and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has 60 days to render a decision on reinstatement under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. That 60-day period ends on Friday, December 2.
Smith was eligible to be reinstated on November 17, which marked the end of the one-year ban he received for violating the league’s substance abuse policy when he was arrested in August 2015 on drunken driving, hit and run, and vandalism charges. That was the fifth time Smith had been arrested since he entered the league as the seventh overall pick of the 2011 draft. The 49ers, who drafted Smith and who reaped the benefits of his fearsome pass rush ability for several seasons, had simply had enough at that point, and they cut Smith shortly after the arrest.
He was subsequently scooped up by the Raiders, and he posted 3.5 sacks for Oakland in nine games during the 2015 season. Despite his most recent suspension–he also served a nine-game ban in 2013 for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies–Oakland handed Smith a two-year, $11.5MM deal this spring.
Smith checked himself into a rehabilitation facility in Carbondale, Colorado in July, not long after a suspicious video post appeared on his Periscope account. That video featured an unidentified man that purportedly sounded like Smith and an unidentified woman talking about a hand-rolled cigarette. Smith has denied it was him in the video, but he entered rehab just the same.
He spent 120 days in the Carbondale facility, and although he also spent time in rehab in 2013, Schefter’s sources have said that Smith’s latest rehab stint had a “profound effect” on the Missouri product. The Raiders are optimistic that Smith will be reinstated and allowed to finish out the season, which would be a tremendous boon for the club as it battles to hold onto first place in the AFC West and competes for a first-round bye. Smith has accrued 47.5 sacks in 59 career games, and although he will not be expected to return to form right away, that kind of production does not grow on trees, and it shows why the 49ers and Raiders have exhibited considerable patience with Smith’s troubles.
Goodell’s decision could be taking awhile because the Periscope video compelled the league to investigate whether Smith violated the protocols required of a suspended player seeking reinstatement to the league following a violation of the substance abuse policy.
Raiders Call Up Two Linebackers
- The Raiders waived tight end Ryan O’Malley and tackle Matt McCants, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Practice squad linebackers James Cowser and Tyrell Adams will ascend to the 53-man roster, Caplan tweets. Shilique Calhoun is out, with starting middle linebacker Perry Riley questionable for Week 12. Neither Cowser nor Adams has seen any game action yet.
Raiders’ Shilique Calhoun To Miss Time?
The Raiders could be without outside linebacker Shilique Calhoun for a little while. The rookie had a procedure on his injured knee this week, the team announced. He’s been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Panthers and it’s not clear exactly when he’ll return. However, he is not expected to be out for the remainder of the season, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. 
[RELATED: Mario Edwards Without Return Date]
The Raiders have been using Calhoun as the primary backup for Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack. Without Calhoun, the Raiders don’t have another dedicated edge rusher to add to the rotation. Bair suggests that sixth-round pick Cory James, an inside linebacker, could take on that role since he did some work on the outside at Colorado State.
Using James to spell Irvin and Mack may not be ideal, but Calhoun wasn’t making a big impact in that role either. Through ten games, Calhoun recorded just nine tackles and a half sack. Alternatively, Oakland could promote James Cowser from the practice squad.
Mario Edwards Without Return Date
Mario Edwards‘ timetable continues to be delayed as he deals with what’s turned out to be another significant injury. The second-year Raiders defensive lineman has yet to resume practicing, according to Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group, who notes the prolonged absence will likely extend into Week 12 and potentially beyond.
More than a month ago, the talk coming out of Oakland placed Edwards’ timetable at being on schedule for a Week 9 return, which would have been the earliest Edwards could have been activated. He’s been eligible to practice for over a month.
Oakland’s top interior pass-rusher is considerably behind Jack Del Rio‘s October projection as the Raiders prepare for their Mexico City game against the Texans. Prior to that, August early reports pegged Edwards as being set to miss one or two regular-season games with his hip injury, so the 2015 second-round pick is facing the prospect of a lost season.
The Raiders still have to designate Edwards as their IR-return candidate, and he will almost certainly need some acclimation time before returning even as a role player. Oakland would have three weeks to activate Edwards once he returns to practice. So, it seems likely December could be Edwards’ new best-case return scenario for game work.
It’s been assumed the 6-foot-5 interior pass-rushing talent would be the player the Raiders bring back from IR, but the former Florida State performer not having practiced yet further delays this process. Oakland has just four players on IR, with blocking tight end Lee Smith (broken bone in his foot) being the highest-profile cog among those aside from Edwards.
This continues a trend for the promising player, who saw a neck injury end his rookie slate and nag him to the point he didn’t receive full clearance to return until May. He made 42 tackles and two sacks last season, being a top-10 run-stopper among edge defenders — per Pro Football Focus — but also helping as an inside presence on passing downs.
The Raiders have used Stacy McGee in that role this season, and the former sixth-round selection’s 2.5 sacks are second on the team to Khalil Mack‘s seven. He’s missed the past two games, however. Having Edwards would help the league’s 29th-ranked defense. Although, it can no longer be assumed the injured talent will be able to return at full strength to provide the help most assumed he would after he went down in August.
Latest On Futures Of Chargers, Raiders
It’s conceivable that either the Chargers or Raiders could relocate to Los Angeles in the coming years, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday the “ideal” scenario is for the two teams to stay where they are (Twitter link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Goodell was in attendance when the Rams broke ground on their $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood, Calif., where the Chargers have the option of sharing the soon-to-be built facility with the Rams. They must decide by Jan. 15 whether to do it, and while an extension is possible, the Chargers haven’t asked for one, Goodell revealed (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News).
Chargers owner Dean Spanos said last week that he’s tabling relocation thoughts until the end of the season, which wouldn’t leave him much time to negotiate a deal with the Rams’ Stan Kroenke. His organization would gladly team with Spanos’ franchise, though, with Rams chief operating officer Kevin Damoff saying, “We’d welcome [the Chargers] with open arms” (Twitter link via Gonzalez).
If the Chargers stay in San Diego – which is possible for at least 2017 – and the Raiders’ Las Vegas plans fall through, there’s “growing support” within the league for the Silver and Black to return to LA, per Bonsignore. Although an October report indicated the NFL could force Raiders owner Mark Davis out, a high-ranking league official told Bonsignore that notion is “total BS.” On the contrary, there’s “growing admiration” for the job Davis has done since taking over the Raiders after his father, Al Davis, died in 2011.
While the league would be OK with the Raiders going back to LA, where they played from 1982-94, or staying in Oakland, Bonsignore writes that Las Vegas remains the likeliest option. The Raiders aren’t interested in remaining in Oakland, relays Bonsignore, as the city hasn’t made much known progress toward a new stadium to replace the 50-year-old Coliseum. Meanwhile, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has already signed off on $750MM in public money toward a potential $1.9 billion Raiders facility.
Davis will file for relocation in January, and once that happens, he’ll need 23 approval votes from the league’s other 31 owners to make his Las Vegas dream a reality. Goodell isn’t fully on board with the Raiders going to Vegas, but Bonsignore doesn’t expect Davis to have difficulty garnering the necessary number of votes.
Raiders Notes: Carr, Smith
- With Oakland and Houston set to meet this week, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr revealed Thursday that the Texans never talked to him in advance of the 2014 draft (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle). Of course, Carr’s brother, the now-retired David Carr, was the Texans’ first-ever draft pick as an expansion franchise in 2002. David flamed out in Houston, though he had little help, while Derek has become one of the NFL’s best signal-callers since going 36th overall in his class. The Texans could have taken Carr at No. 33, but they chose guard Xavier Su’a-Filo instead. Su’a-Filo has started in 19 of 33 appearances, including all nine this year, and currently ranks 61st in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 81 qualified guards.
- Now eligible to return from his one-year ban, Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith says he “won’t be defeated,” as EastBayTimes.com’s Jimmy Durkin writes. “I won’t take no for answer,” Smith said. “I won’t be defeated. You’ve got to understand that it’s your life. You control it. You can’t let nobody else control it. It doesn’t matter what they try to do to you. And most importantly, God put you here for a reason so make the best out of your life, your situation and be a blessing to somebody else and show the world what you’re worth.” Smith got the ball rolling on his reinstatement late last month.
Raiders Have Not Reached CBA's Spending Threshold
- The Raiders are sitting pretty atop the AFC West, and they have spent very little cash to get to that point. So little, in fact, that they are the only team yet to reach the spending threshold mandated in the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA requires that each team spend at least 89% of the salary cap in cash in a four-year period by the time the 2016 league year concludes, and Oakland has yet to reach that mark. If they fail to do so, the NFLPA would receive the difference in cash and could assign the funds as it sees to fit. For instance, the union could distribute that money to needy current and former Raiders who played for the team during that four-year span. However, as La Canfora observes, it is more likely the Raiders use the excess cash to reinvest in the club, with a new contract for pending free agent Latavius Murray a possibility. Plus, a player who received a signing bonus between now and the start of the 2017 league year on March 9 could have a portion of that bonus applied to the 2016 cap to comply with the spending rule.
Chargers Likely To Play 2017 In San Diego
The plan to construct a publicly funded $1.15 billion stadium for the Chargers in downtown San Diego went up in flames on Election Day, as just 43.1 percent of voters signed off on a proposal that needed two-thirds approval to pass. Nevertheless, there’s optimism about an eventual deal, writes David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“While there isn’t support for this particular measure, the results demonstrate that a large number of San Diegans love the Bolts and want them to stay,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “We now have momentum to work together with the Chargers to develop a new solution to keep the team in San Diego.”
For his part, owner Dean Spanos revealed Wednesday that he plans to put the franchise’s future on the backburner until after the season (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
“Over the coming weeks you may hear news about steps that we must take to preserve all of our options. But please know that I don’t intend to make any decisions until after the regular season ends and that, in the meantime, I hope to enjoy with you one great Chargers game after another,” stated Spanos.
The Chargers have until Jan. 15 to choose whether to relocate to Los Angeles and eventually share an Inglewood facility with the Rams, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that they’re likely to delay the LA decision until 2018 and put a new San Diego stadium on the ballot again next year. In another scenario, the Chargers and Raiders could agree to avoid LA relocation in 2017 and focus on San Diego and Las Vegas, respectively, as neither wants to share a stadium with the Rams, according to Rapoport (Twitter links).
The Chargers’ best hope for a long-term solution in San Diego is for the California Supreme Court to drop the need for two-thirds approval on taxpayer-funded projects to a simple majority, contends Mike Florio of PFT. Even if that happens, the Chargers might not return a stadium proposal to the ballot until 2020, per Florio, which differs from Rapoport’s 2017 suggestion. The Bolts’ lease in San Diego runs through 2020, so the team could continue playing at Qualcomm Stadium over the next few years and reassesses its options after the next presidential election.
While a move to LA in 2017 is still possible, the Chargers will only have a two-week window to execute it if Spanos actually does table his relocation thoughts until season’s end. Further, the leverage in negotiations would belong to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, notes Florio, making an agreement all the more difficult to hammer out. Should they reach a deal, the Chargers would likely head to LA immediately and split the Coliseum with the Rams over the next two years. The clubs would then move into the Inglewood stadium in time for the 2019 campaign.
Poll: Who Will Win The AFC West?
Even though the defending Super Bowl champions are a member of the AFC West, the division’s prospects looked extremely cloudy heading into the 2016 division. In PFR’s preseason predictions, three writers picked the Chiefs to take the division crown, with the Raiders and Broncos picking up two and one vote(s), respectively. Additionally, four of six PFR writers projected an AFC West club to claim a Wild Card berth.
And thus far, the division is still up for grabs — the Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers all rank in the top half of the NFL in DVOA, while Denver, Oakland, and Kansas City all have better than a two-thirds chance of making the postseason, according to Football Outsiders (all statistics current through Week 8). In Week 9, the Chiefs have already posted a victory, the Chargers are leading the Titans, and the Broncos and Raiders will square off in an extremely important Sunday night contest.
Each of the four teams in the division has an area where they could improve, including the two clubs who will play tonight. While Denver’s defense is once again one of the best in the league, its offense ranks just 21st in DVOA. Much of that struggle can be attributed to quarterback Trevor Siemian, but the Broncos’ offensive line play has also been poor. Oakland, meanwhile, has posted excellent offensive numbers, but its defense is giving up more than 410 yards per game, 31st in the NFL.
The Chiefs are using the Denver model (20th in offensive DVOA, ninth in defensive DVOA), and are dealing with an injury to their quarterback, Alex Smith. Kansas City’s rushing attack has been impressive based on raw totals, but on an efficiency basis, the club ranks 29th in the league. 
San Diego’s defense is also playing well, as is Philip Rivers, but the Chargers could use more help from their offensive line, which ranks in the bottom-third of the NFL in both run- and pass-blocking, per FO.
Tonight’s game will have a large impact on both Denver and Oakland’s playoff odds: as Brian Burke of ESPN.com tweets, the Broncos are facing a 15.9% probability leverage (change in chance of making the postseason based on the results of this week’s game), while the Raiders are staring down a 26.2% PL. The Chiefs and Chargers were looking at a 21.2% and 13.6% change, respectively.
So, what do you think? Will Broncos hold on to defend their division title? Will the upstart Raiders upend them? Will the uber-consistent Chiefs take over? Or will the Chargers surprise everyone and storm back to take the crown? Vote below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section!
Raiders To Prioritize Derek Carr Contract
Derek Carr will be eligible for an extension after the end of the 2016 season, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Raiders will indeed prioritize a new deal for their star quarterback in 2017.
Industry sources expect that Carr’s new contract will be in line with the mega-deal that Andrew Luck signed with Indianapolis this summer. Luck received a five-year, $123MM pact from the Colts, and Carr should be able to at least come close to that figure, though former NFL agent Joel Corry wonders if the Raiders will try to convince Carr to accept a “pay as you go” model (Twitter link).
Carr is having a tremendous season for the resurgent Raiders, who are showing rapid improvement under the steady and patient hand of GM Reggie McKenzie. Carr has completed over 66% of his passes this year and has posted a 100.9 quarterback rating, throwing for 17 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He and Amari Cooper have teamed up to form one of the best young quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL, and both players should only continue to get better.
Indeed, Carr has demonstrated marked improvement in each of his first three years in the league, and his gaudy numbers this season, combined with Oakland’s potential return to the playoffs, have thrust him into the middle of the MVP discussion. The good news for the Raiders is that they have managed the salary cap very well in recent years, so they should be able to meet Carr’s contract demands fairly easily.
However, they want to get a deal done quickly not just because they need to lock up Carr long-term, but because they will be facing several other major contract decisions in the near future. Cooper’s rookie deal is set to expire at the end of the 2018 season, and Khalil Mack‘s contract is up at the end of the 2017 campaign.