Report: Aldon Smith to be reinstated in March

Suspended Oakland Raiders pass-rusher Aldon Smith will be reinstated in March, provided there are no further slip-ups in his drug rehab program, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Smith was eligible to return from a one-year suspension in November, but after meeting with Roger Goodell, the NFL decided to delay his reinstatement, which now appears to be March.

The seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has had five incidents with law enforcement since joining the league, and was released by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 before joining the Raiders.

Smith was a standout performer in limited time with Oakland, registering 3.5 sacks and 21 total tackles in nine games during the 2015 campaign.

Adding Smith's obvious pass-rushing skills to a Raiders unit that includes 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack would be a scary thought for the opposition in 2017, and provided Smith can stay out of trouble, it appears that will be the case after his reinstatement.