SANTA CLARA -- Trades of Alex Smith and Anquan Boldin were confirmed, high-profile free agents Charles Woodson and Glenn Dorsey were flying in, and homegrown veterans Isaac Sopoaga and Delanie Walker were securing riches elsewhere.
Oh, and All-Pro safety Dashon Goldson was whisked by private jet for a recruiting trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Nope, Tuesday wasn't a normal day for the 49ers. This was the start of the league's fiscal year, thus launching the 49ers' hurried encore at a Super Bowl run.
Their afternoon started by officially announcing their two anticipated trades, in which Smith was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs and Boldin was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens, pending their
Baltimore Ravens' Anquan Boldin (81) makes a first down catch against San Francisco 49ers' Carlos Rogers (22) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Hailing Boldin as a "welcome addition," general manager Trent Baalke thanked Smith -- in a separate news release -- for his eight-season tenure and for being "a true professional who represented the 49ers with class on and off the field."
More farewells were in order for other longtime 49ers: starting nose tackle Sopoaga signed with the Philadelphia Eagles (three years, $12 million; $5 million guaranteed), and backup tight end Walker cashed in with the Tennessee Titans (four years, $17.5 million; $8.6 million guaranteed).
Goldson's departure -- he and the Bucs reportedly are hoping to strike a multiyear deal Wednesday -- wouldn't be shocking. Unlike last year, the 49ers opted not to place the franchise tag on the
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Defensive reinforcements could come in the form of Woodson and Dorsey, who are scheduled to visit the 49ers' facility Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Woodson, 36, played his first eight seasons with the Raiders, and he ended a seven-year stint with the Green Bay Packers with a playoff defeat to the 49ers two months ago.
Dorsey, a 2008 first-round pick (fifth overall) of the Kansas City Chiefs, could fill the void left by Sopoaga's exit to the Eagles. Ricky Jean Francois, Sopoaga's top understudy, is also expected to visit the Eagles and then possibly the Indianapolis Colts.
Also available, via free agency or potential trades, are several other defensive stars: safety Ed Reed and cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha, Sean Smith and Darrelle Revis, who's reportedly a trade target of the Buccaneers.
Alex Smith briefly tested those free-agent waters a year ago before returning to the 49ers. His eighth and final season in San Francisco essentially ended for him when he suffered a concussion Nov. 11 and lost his starting job to Colin Kaepernick.
Smith's wife, Elizabeth, posted a farewell message through Instagram: "Thank you everyone for the kind words & support. This chapter of our lives will forever be cherished." She attached a picture of Smith in his 49ers jersey holding their toddler son, Hudson.
Although the 49ers didn't disclose what they got for Smith, it was reported two weeks ago that they were receiving the Chiefs' second-round draft pick next month (No. 34 overall) and at least a third-round pick in 2014 that could escalate to a second-round choice.
A 2007 shoulder injury, constant coaching changes and inferior supporting casts undermined Smith's early career. He flourished upon Jim Harbaugh's arrival as 49ers coach, producing a 19-5-1 record as the 49ers' starting quarterback since 2011, as opposed to the 19-31-0 mark he had from 2005-2010.
Boldin, a 10-year veteran who helped topple the 49ers in the Super Bowl last month, is in Africa on a relief visit. He expressed "shock" upon landing in Senegal on Monday and hearing that the Ravens traded him, for a sixth-round pick, no less.
"When I look at the organization and what they're about -- and as a football team, the talent that they have -- it's good, a good place for me to be," Boldin told an ESPN crew that is documenting the relief effort of Boldin, former Arizona Cardinals teammate Larry Fitzgerald and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White.
Baalke said of Boldin: "He is a highly competitive and productive player with strong leadership qualities that will be a welcome addition to our team and community."
Three of the 49ers' seven longest-tenured players departed with Tuesday's moves: Sopoaga, a fourth-round draft pick in 2004; Smith, the No. 1 overall choice in 2005; and, Walker, a sixth-round pick in 2006. Still around are long snapper Brian Jennings (2000 draft class), punter Andy Lee (2004), running back Frank Gore (2005) and tight end Vernon Davis (2006).
Walker told 95.7 The Game that the 49ers pursued him, as did the Cardinals, Eagles and Bills, before he selected the Titans for a chance to start full-time. "It was a team that believed in what I could do and gave me an opportunity to show what I could do," Walker said.
Collected from :http://www.mercurynews.com
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