Not Long ago, I got into how long CB Sean Smith may or may not stay with the Oakland Raiders. After being signed for $38 million over four years, he didn’t start his stint with the Raiders well. His main problem was losing his eye-discipline, causing him to lose at the line of scrimmage.
He doesn’t have make-up speed so once he loses there he might as well forget about it. In Week 1, he was benched after giving up multiple big plays including a 98-yard bomb to Brandin Cooks. His Week 2 was highlighted by a 21-yard TD catch and a 37-yard play to Julio Jones.
After that, it may have been the WRs he was playing but he seemed to maintain his eye-discipline better. Smith played very well before tearing a labrum and he started getting beat deep again. And now, in the 2017 offseason, Smith is trying to assure Raider Nation that last year was an aberration.
He got surgery on his labrum and his claim is that he’s back, telling the Las Vegas Review Journal:
“With careers of seven, eight-plus [years], there is always going to be that one year that everyone looks at like, ‘Oh, man. Did he lose it? What’s going on?’ The coaches have said I’m flying around. I’ve got speed still. I feel great. That one year doesn’t define me. I know I’m way better than that.
“And I know what people are used to [from me], and I get it. Everyone wants the Sean of old. No problem. …Two-one is back.”
Should Raider Nation believe that?
He was always known to be susceptible to speed early in his career and that’s back now. He had three good years in Kansas City but his four years with the Miami Dolphins weren’t special.
So was he re-exposed by speed?
Is it time for Gareon Conley to take the CB1 slot?
What happens when he doesn’t win at the line of scrimmage this year?
They can back the WR to his side off the line of scrimmage, making it harder to touch him. The Raiders will have to quickly figure out if last year was a bad year or if he was permanently exposed. His guaranteed money has been paid so it it is the latter, Smith will be cut quickly.
Just win, baby!
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