The San Francisco 49ers have talked at length about doing right by Alex Smith, but it looks like it will have to come via trade.
ESPN is reporting that sources close to the situation state that the 49ers are “highly unlikely to trade Smith.” The #1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith lost his job to Colin Kaepernick this past season.
While sitting in on the NFL combine Thursday in Indianapolis, Niners general manager Trent Baalke said no decision has been made on Smith’s future, but did say he spoke with the QB and his wife at dinner earlier this month.
“We had a great discussion,” Baalke said. “I can’t say enough good things. And I think if you ask anyone in our organization, they would say the same thing: He is a pro’s pro. And I have nothing but great respect for him, his family, and we’re certainly going to do everything in our power to make the best decision for everyone involved.
“We’re going to look at all options available. Are we going to trade him for sure? No, that hasn’t been decided.”
I think the 49ers are well aware of what they have in Smith, and what a few teams in the NFL need in a quarterback. The 49ers will trade Alex Smith, but they won’t give him away for free.