"Alex Smith on Wednesday said he was "shocked at first" when he found out wide receiver Braylon Edwards had been released but that there wasn't much time to contemplate the decision."When you're in the middle of the season, it's hard to have a lot of time to reflect on something like that," the quarterback said. "Personnel decisions are just something that are just a part of this, week in and week out, and I found that out my rookie year and every year since."Coach Jim Harbaugh declined to offer a reason for Edwards' ouster, saying only that it was done to strengthen the 49ers' roster. "We're doing what we feel is in the best interest of the team, like all decisions," Harbaugh said.In a statement Tuesday, Edwards cited the knee injury he's been dealing with since Week 2. Smith said he noticed Edwards struggling in recent weeks."You could tell he was pushing through it and it was bothering him," he said. "And that's tough when you're a receiver and your wheels aren't working right. That's tough, but he showed a lot of toughness trying to step up for the team and get back healthy for us when we needed him.""