San Francisco 49ers NFL Trade Rumors: Aldon Smith's Release Opens Door for Others
The San Francisco 49ers have gone through a lot this season, and it seems that things are far from over.
They have lost players like Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, now outside linebacker Aldon Smith has been added to the list.
The talented prospect has had numerous issues so far in his career. Last year he was suspended for nine games. Now he has been released following an arrest after a hit and run incident, which was compounded by a DUI and vandalism.
It was also reported in TMZ that Smith had an altercation with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which has been denied by coach Jim Tomsula. In a statement released by the coach, he turned down any suggestions that the two players came to blows recently.
"Nothing. I've had a couple of skirmishes out there. You've seen me – I'm playing traffic cop. I've lived in those trenches. … I start hearing the heat, and I go over there with a water hose," he said.
And with Smith's departure, the 49ers revealed that they have added Shawn Lemon to the line-up. The 6-foot-1-inch, 235-pound linebacker played for the Calgary Stampeders last year in the Canadian Football League and had a productive year with 13 sacks in the season.
Aside from Lemon, Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks should be tapped to play a bigger role for the team with Smith out of the squad – with the two players combining for 12 sacks last year.
The time for transition and rebuilding seems to be unending for San Francisco, and expect them to continue trying to go through the motions of returning as one of the contenders in their division where there is little to no room for error.