Better a year early than a year too late.
We got something for him instead of paying him big bucks for him to fall off this season and then be cut for nothing after 2020.

Was he surprised? Sure I guess... but an NFL veteran should never be surprised by anything. Especially a bad team in cap trouble making moves to clear cap and gain picks to build toward the future. He knows the business.

They actually probably figured it was a better move than trying to restructure and extend and essentially pay him less, which isn't what he deserved.
They did him a super solid giving him a legit shot at a SB in his waning days. As opposed to him helping us get to .500.

You can do both things though. Try to compete and try to get better for the future. They aren't mutually exclusive. It isn't tanking it's not putting all your eggs in one basket. Which is almost what 2017 seems like looking back now.
They aren't punting 2020 they just know they aren't that close to a SB. So you can build for the future while also expecting to be better than 5-6 wins next season.
Campbell was a great piece of the D. But let's not pretend his absence will sink us.
We'll miss Yan if he doesn't play this season much more than we'll miss Calais.

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