Head Coach Jack Del Rio has dubbed the last day of the work week "Fast Friday." Today has certainly been a whirlwind with the arrival, signing and first practice for new Oakland Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith. Twitter was on fire with the news as the Silver and Black took to the practice field for their final tune up before Sunday's regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It remains to be seen whether or not Smith will play this Sunday. Head Coach Jack Del Rio said that determination has not been made. As the Associated Press' Josh Dubow astutely pointed out on Twitter, defensive end Richard Seymour was acquired two days before the Raiders season opener, played and recorded two sacks in his debut.
Smith's on field resume is impeccable and his skills as a pass rusher are in the upper echelon in the NFL. He has chalked up 44 sacks in 50 career regular season games.
His teammates are excited to add a player of Smith's caliber and credentials.
Second-year player Khalil Mack said, "He's an athlete. He's one of the top athletes in this league. You can see it in his build and you can see it by the way he came off the edge today. It was pretty exciting to see."
Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson added, "He's going to be a great addition to our team. We already felt like we had put together a very good team. He just adds to it. We're happy to have him."
Injury Report
Defensive end Benson Mayowa has been ruled out for this Sunday's game, while defensive end Justin Tuck, wide receiver Andre Holmes and tight end Clive Walford are all probable.
Quick Hits from the Practice Field
Fast Friday was just that, fast. The enthusiasm to start the season is pretty much palpable, the team is ready to hit the field at O.co Coliseum.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree made many impressive catches today – he seems to have flown under the radar in recent weeks due to Amari Cooper, Seth Roberts, and other storylines at his position but he looks ready to go.
All eyes were on new Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith including Raiders Owner Mark Davis, the CBS broadcast crew calling Sunday's game and the assembled local media.
The intensity picked up on Fast Friday and the music volume was raised in accordance.
Song of the Day
Heard at the end of the stretching period, today's song of the day is Young Jeezy's I Luv It from the 2006 album The Inspiration. My question is this, at what point is Young Jeezy just going to be "Jeezy?"
