Looking back at the 49ers haul from the first Alex Smith trade

The bottom line:

We all know the rest of the story after the initial Alex Smith trade.

Fast forward five seasons and the Chiefs have become a perennial playoff contender in the AFC. The Niners have become a mediocre franchise. Alex Smith has gone 50-26 as a starting quarterback for the Chiefs in five seasons. The 49ers, meanwhile, have a record of 33-47 in that time with three straight last-place finishes in the NFC West.

Here’s what’s incredible about the Niners at this point, at least to me. Those 2 picks turned into 4 picks overall, and the Niners were applauded across the board for the way they worked the draft. Making a lot of noise, however, doesn’t necessarily mean progress.

All of those players, not just 2 but 4, should have turned into key contributors and the Niners should be a team on the rise. Four prospects for an extra quarterback should have kickstarted a youth movement already in place. Instead, the Niners were forced to reset, yet again, last offseason.

Fortunately San Francisco recently pulled off another significant quarterback trade, one in which they targeted someone to stop the bleeding. So far, Jimmy Garoppolo looks the part. They’ve apparently learned that moving and shaking only leads to temporary applause, while having a concrete vision for what is most important will move you forward.

At least it did for Kansas City. Thanks, Alex.