Tim Brown Says Aldon Smith Could Still Be Great ... But He Needs Help (VIDEO)

Tim Brown says he still believes Aldon Smith can be one of the most dominant football players in the NFL -- but he needs serious help from his family, teammates and friends to get his life straight.

Smith has been battling substance abuse for years -- and was recently detained by police for being intoxicated after a car he was a passenger in slammed into an undercover cop car.

Brown says he and his old Raiders teammates used to hold intervention-style meetings with players like Smith in the hopes of getting them back on the straight and narrow ... and suggests more people in Smith's life follow suit.

Bottom line -- Brown wants to see Smith back in the Silver and Black ... but only if he can get healthy.

We recently spoke with Smith's Raiders teammate, Donald Penn, who says he also wants Smith back with the squad because football can be good for his recovery.