Alex Smith to seek release from 49ers before free agency, according to report

@CindiPaszek I'm going to goon record saying I'm tired of every QB getting this initials/number combo. RG3 is RG3 because of his name, Robert Griffin III. Now Seattle fans are calling their QB RW3 because Russell Wilson wears #3 and apparently SF fans are trying to adopt this ridiculous CK7

 craig.w.bryant  CindiPaszek Yeah, your right. I think that would really upset A-Rod and Car-Go.

@CindiPaszek would you ever write TB12 or PM18? One QB with a nickname that is inspired by his REAL FRIEKING NAME doesn't mean fans need to re-brand every QB in the same manner!

 eddie577 The team stunk.  They obviously thought he gave them the best chance to win.  In the NFL his contract is not guaranteed.  He owes that team nothing.  They cut numerous people who got no money after they left during his tenure there, and I doubt you were stepping up for them with all they had given to the team to that point.  He's been the consummate team player up to this point.  When they release him, they'll stop paying him.  It seems like a better deal for them too.  I mean, if he's not playing then there's no point in paying him right?

 Mark A He may want to go to Arizona but SF would be hesitant to trade him within the division?

 IdDoHannahStorm  Mark A They'd rather trade him in the division than release him, I'd imagine.

And if I'm Alex and I have a choice, I don't pick Arizona.  St Louis, Seattle, and San francisco are all young, scary D's and the Arizona o-line is a mess.  

 Mark A This makes the most sense for the Niners. Smith was nothing before Harbaugh. If Harbaugh thinks he isn't good enough, then believe it. 

 hq817 Nice try, but no.  Smith was not benched for Dorsey, Weinke, Dilfer, Pickett or  Rattay.  Those first 4 only stepped in for various games during Smith injuries, and Rattay was the starter & mentor in Smith's rookie year...i.e., Smith was never "benched for" him.  On T. Smith- S Hill: yes, but that was the Singletary debacle, a/k/a one of the worst personnel mismanagement & HC performances in modern NFL history.  Anyone who follows the game knows that.

And you discredited your own assertion by stating most overall #1 picks would have been unemployed.  There is a clear reason he is still around...I suggest you look up his passer rating.

 hq817 Let's phrase it this way.  In 8 seasons with the 49ers Alex Smith made it to the playoffs once and won one playoff game against one of the worst defenses in NFL history.   Kaepernick has started 9 games for the 49ers and has already won two playoff games.  Regardless of how many times and for whom the guy has been benched for, being benched at all is not what you are looking for in your first overall draft pick.

 Jesse6  hq817 Careful Jesse...your football ignorance is showing. Put Kaepernick on any 2005-2010 Niners' team.  No way would he have ever gotten to the playoffs.

 Pierre1PRO CLIP BOARD HOLDER.

 Pierre1

 He already is the new Steve DeBerg. Has been since they drafted kaepernick

 Pierre1 Funny.  DeBerg never had half of Smith's skills, accuracy or overall leadership.  

Spin it and whine about Smith all you want, but he is a franchise QB.  Performance and numbers do not lie.

 Dane_G  Pierre1 

"Performance and numbers do not lie."  Should tell that to Lance Armstrong :)

 mellorjoshua  Dane_G  Pierre1

 Now That is Damn Funny

 Dane_G  Pierre1

 Dane, you're killing your own argument. Smith's first 6 years in the league count into an evaluation. Because at the end of the day, he's probably going to a bad team. If he couldn't perform on bad SF teams from 2005-2010, what makes anyone think that he'll perform on a new bad team without a GREAT defense, run game, and Harbaugh coaching?

 M as in Mancy  Dane_G  Pierre1 Who ever said his first 6 years don't count?  Of course they do...you seem to be confusing the concept of the individual with that of the team.  And of course his numbers would be better on a better team.  On that note, if he's smart he'll find a contender to join if he's released (i.e., the subject of this article), just as any in-demand free agent QB would do.

 Dane_G  M as in Mancy  Pierre1

 Here's the rub. Team success is a big deal and certainly is an intangible that makes winners. But I'm a fan who follows teams not players. But a team's primary evaluation process for an individual (they're paying an individual contract after all) is going to be stats and film, especially in a position like QB which is easily quantifiable.

Ultimately, he'll get paid somewhere else. The question is whether the team will consider how much he struggled without the benefit of his current team and coach. All these teams that get thrown around will probably be awful and emulate the first 6 years where he struggled. You're kidding yourself if you don't think a GM is going to overlook that and let his contract get crazy.

@M as in Mancy @Dane_G @Pierre1 You seem to think he was horrible for 6 years....he wasn't, he constantly showed flashes of brilliance, and was very promising when able to play for an entire season. No QB could have taken those teams to the playoffs...most GMs get that. He will have contender options if he is released..possibly Philly, AZ to name a couple...maybe even St Louis

I don't think anyone would say he was horrible, but he was mediocre. The numbers and film from 05-10 bear this out. Smith had 1 season of over a 60% completion rate, a high QB rating of 82, and at best averaged 215 ypg. A FRANCHISE QB TAKES HIS TEAM TO THE PLAYOFFS. A franchise guy is the rock that stops the bleeding and puts a team on his shoulders. Brees and Manning went to laughingstocks and turned them into perennial contenders.

And the 09-10 49ers have the same team core: Gore, J-Smith, Willis, V Davis, Crabtree, several O-Linemen, that have performed brilliantly the past 2 years. Smitty has improved a lot and will probably be the top FA, but he was not even close to a franchise guy until Harbaugh ressurected his career.