The New York Giants are stuck in a waiting game as far as Jason Pierre-Paul is concerned, and they have no idea when he will be ready to play football again after losing a finger to a July 4th accident. They could really use some pass rushing help, and they seem to have their eyes on one target in particular. According to a report from Jordan Schultz, the Giants are interested in signing linebacker Aldon Smith.
There is interest in Aldon Smith from several NFL teams, notably NY Giants. But what’s really important is a life spiraling out of control.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 10, 2015
He hasn’t been the same over the past couple of seasons, but a lot of that has to do with his off-the-field issues. Smith was just cut by the San Francisco 49ers after yet another arrest, and it has become a very common thing for him to be in trouble with the law.
While the past two years haven’t been all that impressive from Smith, he had an amazing first couple NFL seasons.
During the 2012 season in particular, Smith ended up recording 66 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. He was absolute monster defensively, and helped lead the 49ers to being one of the most feared defenses in the league. Those days have gone, but they certainly aren’t forgotten and it isn’t too late for him to bring his career back.
At just 25 years old, Smith still has a lot of top-notch football left in him and is just entering his prime. If he can take the bad situations that he has put himself in and learn lessons from them, he will be just fine. That isn’t going to be easy for him, but he has to figure out a way to do it if he wants to keep his career alive.
That being said, it will be interesting to see if the Giants do end up trying to sign Smith. He is likely going to receive some type of punishment from Roger Goodell and the NFL, but who knows how much of the season he will be suspended for this time around. If it isn’t the entire year, some team is going to jump on him and the Giants appear to be the front-runner.
Expect to hear plenty more news and more rumors about Smith over the next couple weeks. New York is certainly a team to watch, but they aren’t going to be the only team interested in signing him.
