Oakland Raiders linebacker Malcolm Smith may have not only a Super Bowl pedigree, but a Super Bowl MVP pedigree. That doesn't mean his chances at a starting gig now that he's swapped out the Seattle Seahawks for the Raiders are any higher. When the Raiders and new head coach Jack Del Rio signed Smith this offseason, they likely looked at the Lombardi hero as a special teams maven who could potentially turn himself into a starter with some good offseason work, but nothing like guaranteed production. A few short months into his Raiders tenure, it seems Smith is already showing the Oakland coaching staff that he's more than just a backup. While presumed weakside starter Sio Moore is dealing with a hip injury, Smith is proving that he deserves some snaps with the first unit, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.
"I think Malcolm's had a really good camp for us," Del Rio said recently, via Williamsom. "He's a veteran player. He understands what we're trying to get done. He's got a knack for stripping the ball. He seems to come up with turnovers almost every day. I'm really excited about the way he's working at it, applying himself. He's been very good for us."
Moore started training camp for the Raiders on the physically unable to perform list, but has also missed some recent workouts, per Williamson. Moore, a former third-round pick, has put together two strong NFL seasons. Last year, he managed 90 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble playing alongside Khalil Mack. The hip injury though could be cause for concern as it keeps him off the field during a vital phase of the offseason.
Smith, a former seventh-rounder for the Seahawks out of USC, has never provided anything other than spot duty thus far in his NFL tenure. While his maximum output to date has been 54 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions, collected in the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning 2013 campaign, it seems his recent efforts at Raiders training camp may have the Oakland staff thinking bigger things for him in 2015.
