Edwards, Smith nearing return to Raiders

By the time the Raiders return from their trip to Mexico City to play the Houston Texans as part of the NFL’s international flirtation, there’s a good possibility that defensive end Mario Edwards will have been cleared to return to practice.

That would be a big lift for the defensive line, which has not been as effective as many people predicted.

There is also a reasonable chance that linebacker Aldon Smith will be back as well, though his situation is clearly a bit more complicated than Edwards.

Whereas Edwards’ main hurdle is his hip injury, Smith has a mountain to climb to get back into the NFL starting with commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell was the one who suspended Smith for one full calendar year last November and it is Goodell whom Smith has to convince to let him back in the league.

Even if that happens — and there is legitimate reason to believe it won’t — Smith’s physical status is unknown. Under Goodell’s orders, the Raiders were to have no contact with the veteran pass-rusher during his suspension.

If Smith’s suspension is lifted and he is in decent enough shape, the question then becomes how quickly he can get up to speed with the rest of the defense. Although Smith played half a season in defensive coordinator Ken Norton’s system in 2015, there have been changes and tweaks made that Smith will have to adjust to.

Edwards won’t face the same issue because he was with the team in training camp. Once he returns, the Raiders have 21 days to decide whether to add him to the 53-man roster or keep him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Smith, on the other hand, can begin to practice immediately once he’s been cleared to return by Goodell.