Thanks to being arrested for a hit and run, being charged with vandalism and driving under the influence for the third time since entering the NFL, former first-round pick in DE/OLB Aldon Smith was cut by the San Francisco 49ers Friday.
After serving a nine-game suspension for violation of both the NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies, with the current climate of the NFL handing down suspensions. One has to wonder how NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell will handle Smith.
Smith, the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Missouri, registered 44.0 sacks and 152 total tackles during his four-year stint with San Francisco, which was highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance in 2012. A talented player at 6’4 and 265 pounds, Smith won various honors such as NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, First Team All-Pro and PFWA’s Defensive Rookie Of The Year in 2011.
While there is no question about his talent on the field, it is his immature actions and off-the-field issues that may scare away potential suitors in need of help at pass rusher and getting to the quarterback as the 25-year-old has accumulated a rap sheet that would make Lawrence Phillips blush.
- January 2012: Arrested for DUI (later reduced)
- September 2013: Arrested on suspicion of DUI
- October 2013: Arrested on 3 felony weapons charges
- April 2014 : Charged with false bomb report at LAX
- July 2014: Sentence to 11 days in work program
- August 2015: Arrested for hit and run, DUI and vandalism
If a team that is in need of either depth on the line, or someone that can help them immediately, Smith would a low-risk, high-reward move. This writer’s early favorites that may ask about Smith are The New York Jets, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.