Kurtenbach: Aldon Smith is not a redemption story… yet
The former 49ers and Raiders DE is back in the NFL, but let's not go celebrating just yet. Plus: Are the 49ers really going to start Solomon Thomas? Warriors NBA Draft thoughts.
I knew Aldon Smith when we were both at the University of Missouri.
When he was a teenager who didn’t know that he was superhuman.
When he wore a perpetual smile and constantly aimed to please.I never met the Aldon Smith that played in the NFL. To this day, I’m glad I didn’t.
Something changed in those years with the 49ers and Raiders, where substance abuse and mental struggles overwhelmed even the most undeniable talents. It overwhelmed what I continue to believe is the real Aldon Smith.
But after four years away, Smith is back in the NFL, having agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys Wednesday.
For the time being, I’m refusing to write up any redemption story.
The defensive end still needs to be reinstated by the league. Given his rap sheet, I don’t know if that’s going to happen.
He also needs to make the Cowboys roster. He’s reportedly in shape and at age 30, but after so long away, who knows if he can still cut it in the NFL.
We’ve also danced to this song before. The steps might have changed, but it’s unquestionably the same music.
Yes, Smith was contrite in his public statement Wednesday night. And yes, that’s a positive sign. But comments and statements don’t mean much anymore.
The sporting world was right to write off Smith — you can only gaslight everyone for so long. You can only waste so many opportunities.
Smith needs to prove that he’s changed through consistency in his actions.
Not to prove the sports world wrong, either. Again, no one expects anything from him anymore.
No, at this point, Smith needs to prove to himself that he can handle the rigors and pressures of the NFL; that he’s chased away one of the only things in the world more powerful than him — his demons.
The sack numbers don’t matter. If he can stay clean and make a team, then we have a redemption story.
I’m rooting for it, because I still believe the Aldon Smith I knew still exists.
Call me naive — I’m fine with that. But that Aldon Smith — the one I knew way back in the day and was only around for a short time in the NFL — is worth our cheers.
2. The most important offseason addition to the 49ers roster might be the number of pounds Solomon Thomas can add.
The Niners are missing a defensive tackle for passing downs. The three-down guys used to be DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, who both slid one spot inside to get after the quarterback, but only one remains.
Behind Armstead on the defensive tackle depth chart are DJ Jones (the run-stopping one-technique), Jullian Taylor (coming off a December ACL injury), Kentavius Street (three career games), and Thomas.
The Stanford product, you’ll likely remember, was a dominant defensive tackle in Palo Alto, but has been a tweener to this point in his NFL career. I don’t need to tell you that he hasn’t lived up to the promise of being the No. 3 overall draft pick.
But the Niners don’t need Thomas to be a defensive end anymore — he should go into the 2020 season as solely a defensive tackle, specifically a three-technique that can slide up to one tech on passing, aka “Dee Ford” downs.
It’s not that outrageous a concept for Thomas, NFL defensive lines are becoming lighter, eschewing weight in favor of explosiveness, strength, and leverage. Still, weight is an important aspect.
Solomon will need to add at least 10 pounds to reasonably fill the role the 49ers really need him to play, otherwise, he’ll likely be pushed around like in the past.
But if he can add that weight and maintain his surprisingly impressive athleticism (he posted outstanding three-cone, 20-yard-shuttle, and broad and vertical jump numbers amid defensive linemen in his 2017 draft class), he stands a chance of making a serious impact in 2020.
If he’s looking for a plan to expand the waistline, may I suggest my quarantine diet of beer and home-made bread?
3. It’s becoming less and less likely that we see the Warriors on the court again this season, so, naturally, NBA Draft takes are flying.
There were multiple reports this week that the Warriors aren’t high on selecting Memphis center James Wiseman with what is sure to be an early pick whenever the draft might be held.
Common sense could have told you that.
Early draft picks cost a surprising amount of money. Last year, the No. 1 overall pick signed a pre-determined deal worth $11 million per season over four years. The No. 5 pick is pulling in $7.25 million.
For a team like the Warriors, who will be pushing the luxury tax again next year, that’s a serious investment.
And when have the Steve Kerr-led Warriors ever given the indication that they’re interested in investing in centers?
Since Kerr has arrived in Golden State, he’s run a center-by-committee approach. Players are brought in on the cheap to fulfill specific roles for the lineup — instead of one center with all the skills (who can’t play the full game), the Warriors trot out three or four centers (and Draymond Green) with a skill or two.
Centers also take a long time to develop (if at all) and are less important today as perhaps they have ever been in the history of basketball (something brought on, in no small part, by the Warriors’ style of play).
Whoever the Warriors pick will need to be an immediate contributor to this core — which the team believes still has title runs left in ’em — and possibly help usher in a new era of excellence after that.
Can a wing player do that? Absolutely. It’s a wing league. A guard? Perhaps. We’ve certainly seen what a guard can do around these parts. But a center? I know we’re far out, but that’s hard to see.