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When the San Francisco 49ers signed veteran right tackle Marvel Smith in the offseason, they knew they were taking a gamble. If Smith could stay healthy, the 49ers would get a solid former Pro Bowler that would solidify a position that was a disaster for the 49ers in 2008.But they were signing a player who had been knocked out of each of the past two seasons by back problems. Smith apparently has not been able to make it out of the preseson, as the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Smith is expected to retire on Sunday or Monday. He did not make the trip to Dallas for the 49ers preseason game this weekend for what coach Mike Singletary called personal reasons.
San Francisco had already announced that Adam Snyder had beaten out Smith for the starting right tackle job, even though Snyder allowed 9 1/2 sacks (according to Stats Inc.) in 13 starts last year.
If this is the end for Smith, it's a sad end to what was a pretty solid career. Smith had spent the first nine years of his career as a starter for the Steelers, earning one Pro Bowl berth and two Super Bowl rings, although he was on the injured reserve during last year's Super Bowl run.
It's hard to fault the 49ers for taking a chance on Smith. He had surgery during the offseason and was optimistic that he had put the injury behind him. If it had worked out, he would have served as a significant upgrade for the 49ers at a bargain rate (his two-year, $10.5 million deal was largely based on incentives). But now, San Francisco is back where they started.
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