49ers reportedly will try to trade Alex Smith before releasing him

Alex Smith has been a good teammate despite being demoted this season, so the 49ers reportedly will try to treat him well in return.

Smith had a good season for San Francisco before being replaced as the team’s starting quarterback after being concussed during a Week 10 tie against St. Louis. Colin Kaepernick replaced him, led the team to the Super Bowl, and has clearly emerged as the team’s franchise quarterback.

San Francisco is planning to part ways with Smith in the offseason. The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reported on Monday that the most likely scenario is Smith and his agent giving the 49ers a list of teams where he would prefer to be traded. The 49ers would likely seek a 2013 draft pick and potential 2014 conditional draft pick in return.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Niners would try trading Smith first and that they would release him out of respect if they are unable to find a suitable trade. Rapoport says Smith’s agent has a good relationship with the team, and that the franchise believes Smith deserves the right to be treated properly.

Rapoport mentions the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and possibly the Philadelphia Eagles as potential trade destinations for Smith.

Though Smith has played well the past two seasons, I don’t envision the former No. 1 overall pick as a long-term solution at quarterback for any team. He played his best with Jim Harbaugh as his coach and when he was supported by a stellar defense. We’ll see how he performs in a different situation. I’m not expecting much.