I live in the Bay Area. Brooks wasn't replaced by Reuben Foster, nor was he released because of the criminal charges.
At 33, Brooks can still get the job done, but the 49ers switched defensive philosophies. Brooks' assignment in Fangio's old 3-4 defense was to seal the edge. It just so happened that he was skilled enough to be good for 7 sacks every year. SF used a high draft on Eli Harold a couple years ago, and he's finally being put into a role where he can do some damage and the drop off between him and Brooks was minimal. The Niners have had better linebackers than us for years, so I'm sure it had nothing to do with Brooks' overall talent.
Shanahan released him now saying it'll give him an opportunity to play somewhere else right away, and he is with us.
Originally Posted by: blueleopard