Jack Del Rio, Reggie McKenzie statements on Raiders signing of Aldon Smith

When the Raiders sign a player who has been arrested five times in his career, including just a month ago for a DUI that got him released by the 49ers, there are going to be some questions. The signing is rather out of character for a regime that has put character high on their list of priorities. Here is what the Raiders head coach as well as their General Manager had to say about their new trouble pass rusher.

"Aldon is an extremely talented young player," said Head Coach Jack Del Rio. "We welcome him to the Raiders family and expect him to bring his best every day and be a great teammate."

"We are confident that the Raiders provide an environment where Aldon can thrive through the support, structure and leadership within the building," said General Manager Reggie McKenzie. "We are excited to have Aldon here in the Raiders family."

There seemed to be some leadership and a positive environment in San Francisco for Smith, but his alcohol problem was bigger than even they anticipated. Still, the former All Pro was such a great pass rusher, they gave him more chances than many teams give lesser players. And this offseason, the 49ers have been one of the more dysfuntional franchises in the league, which likely didn't help.

In Oakland, there are veteran players like Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson for Smith to draw from.

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