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49ers release Derek Smith
Published 2/19/2008 by Samuel Lam at Mining the Gold Rush
49ers release Derek Smith The 49ers have cut ties with linebacker Derek Smith. I had always liked Smith not as a great linebacker, but as an emotional leader. He was a great face of the team’s success in the early 2000s. But with this move, the team is clearly looking to establish more freedom for Patrick Willis. Not only that, this will give opportunities for either a new linebacker signing or bringing a chance for players like Tully Banta-Cain to step up. This is a tough move for a team that needs a lot of veteran experience on defense. Bryant Young’s retirement and the release of Smith now forces a new leader to step up. Willis may be looked on to be a leader right from the ...

Gays run Derek Smith out of San Francisco
Published 2/19/2008 by Drew at Niner Noise | A Blog For San Francisco 49ers Fans
Actually it would be more accurate to say that the 49ers think he’s been more of a Nancy linebacker than a Mike or a Ted . It’s clear that the 49ers can’t stand the weak performance he’s given them over the last 2 years. Sometimes you have to be clear and say “it’s not me it’s you”. Maybe they could have claimed he was cheating on them by secretly missing tackles, but then he could just say it was revenge for romancing with Patrick Willis. Either way, it’s official, the 49ers are definitely moving in a new direction on defense. It’s arguable that this direction is lateral or maybe even a back-peddle or two, but it’s clear that they want changes. If you were one of the 13,423 people who ...