The NFL free agency tampering period began at 9 a.m. PT, and with it comes the official word of Torrey Smith’s release. The San Francisco 49ers announced the move Tuesday morning after Smith confirmed the news Monday afternoon. General manager John Lynch issued this statement upon Smith’s release.
“The 49ers would like to thank Torrey for representing this organization with tremendous class over the last two years. I have always had great respect for his skill as a player and as a wonderful example of how professional athletes can use their platform to make a difference in our community. We wish Torrey, and his family, all the best.”
The move was clearly not for cap concerns given that the 49ers already had over $90 million in cap space. Kyle Shanahan likely views him as somebody that is not the right fit for his offense at this point.
It certainly has nothing to do with character concerns, as Smith is as good a guy as you will find in the NFL. He has used his platform to do a lot of good, helping youths and other organizations through his foundation work. He was the 49ers nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award this year, well-deserved recognition for his off-the-field activities.
The past two years were effectively a waste for Smith and the 49ers. He made some money, but his contributions were fairly minimal on an awful offense. He will likely find a solid landing spot where he can serve as a deep threat to complement a more logical No. 1 receiver option.