Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has one word for the flood of departed players and coaches out of San Francisco this offseason, calling his ex-team's roster overhaul downright "crazy."
"You knew some of that wasn't going to last forever," Smith said Tuesday, per Cam Inman of The Mercury News. "We weren't going to be able to hold it all together from a cap standpoint and the years standpoint. You knew that was going to change."
Still, with only seven starters remaining from the team that reached Super Bowl XLVII, the 49ers were the only logical choice to top Conor Orr's list of NFL offseasons that didn't go according to plan.
The loss of talented coach Jim Harbaugh cuts deepest, but the team's core was further gutted by the retirements of defensive end Justin Smith, right tackle Anthony Davis and linebackers Chris Borland and Patrick Willis. Watching workhorse running back Frank Gore leave for Indianapolis only further antagonized a Niners fan base wondering about the team's master plan.
Smith pointed to a "ton of turnover everywhere" in the NFL, but San Francisco's unsettling offseason is arguably the wackiest in three-plus decades. The 49ers likely won't be better come September, but they will be intriguing to watch. Teams tossed into the pressure cooker usually are.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Greg Hardy's reduced suspension, and the guys debate which players are at 'The Crossroads.'
