The 49ers are releasing linebacker Malcolm Smith, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). After two seasons with the Niners, he is now free to sign with any team. 
The one-time Super Bowl MVP took a pay cut in the offseason after two injury plagued seasons with the 49ers. Smith isn’t the same player that he once was, but he could hold appeal for teams in need of experience in the front seven.
Smith joined the Niners prior to the 2017 season, but his first year was washed out by a torn pectoral muscle. Then, in 2018, he registered just 35 tackles and one pass defensed in 12 games (five starts). His Pro Football Focus grade of 63.4 was an improvement over his 2015 and 2016 showings with the Raiders, but that placed him as the 53rd best linebacker in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Smith cut saves the Niners just $1.34MM against $4.2MM in dead money.