2. Trading DeForest Buckner
There’s a chance none of the previous four moves on this list are possible without the Buckner trade. The 49ers traded the star defensive tackle to the Colts in exchange for the No. 13 pick. Indianapolis wound up signing him to a four-year, $84 million contract. Signing Buckner to that same deal probably puts the 49ers out of the running for Ward, and certainly keeps them from re-signing Armstead. The draft compensation in the trade allowed them to replace Buckner with a top-15 pick. It’s never easy to move on from All-Pro caliber players early, but positional value and the 49ers’ salary cap situation made this move a logical one.