Former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is perched at no. 81 on NFL network’s list of the top 100 NFL players. That may not seem all that high, but consider this: No 49er cracked the top 100 players this year in the poll voted on by…the players. It makes you wonder about the trade of Smith in 2013. Was it a good deal?
Let’s revisit the move with the perspective of a few seasons. Smith was dealt basically because he had no more support in the 49ers building. The man who drafted him, former general manager Scot McCloughan, was gone by then, and then coach Jim Harbaugh was much more enamored with the player he drafted in 2011: Colin Kaepernick.