Tag: 49ers trades

49ers swing trade for DL help at the trade deadline buzzer

The 49ers made a trade!

The San Francisco 49ers made a move in the closing moments of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

According to the Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the 49ers are dealing a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

It’s not a huge surprise the 49ers and Texans linked up for a trade. They also came together on a deal that sent DT Maliek Collins to San Francisco over the offseason.

Davis, a 2020 sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Nebraska, bounced around the league a couple of times before finding a home last season in Houston.

As a rookie with the Buccaneers, Davis played in only two games. The next year with the Indianapolis Colts he saw action in only one game before getting let go mid-season.

In 2022 Davis was on practice squads with the Steelers, Buccaneers and Rams.

The Texans signed him during the 2023 preseason and he wound up playing in 15 games for them. He notched 2.0 of his 3.0 career sacks. He added another this year where he’s contributed in all nine of Houston’s games.

It’s unlikely Davis will make a major impact, but he’ll fit in as a rotational interior defensive lineman where San Francisco has been thin since DT Javon Hargrave went down. Adding depth for the price of a future seventh-round pick is a nice move for the 49ers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: 49ers won’t get chance to add rising star DE at trade deadline

It doesn’t sound like the 49ers will be acquiring DE Azeez Ojulari.

The San Francisco 49ers are running out of options to add defensive end help ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Well before Tuesday’s 1:00pm deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired DE Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. On Tuesday, DE Za’Darius Smith was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Detroit Lions. After that, the Green Bay Packers dealt DE Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

San Francisco might have been aiming to acquire New York Giants DE Azeez Ojulari, but it sounds like he won’t be on the move.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported Ojulari isn’t likely to get dealt after the Giants held firm on a steep asking price for the 24-year-old.

It’s not a huge surprise the 49ers didn’t want to overpay for a potential rental. Ojulari is in the final year of his contract and figures to command a sizable deal in free agency. He has 6.0 sacks in nine games this season and has stayed healthy after dealing with injuries that limited him to 18 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

For San Francisco, draft capital is going to be important piece of their future with so a roster that will likely rely less on veterans over the next couple of seasons. They’ll need premium picks to replenish their roster, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to retain Ojulari in free agency.

The 49ers need help on the defensive line, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll come in a trade with the Giants.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report offers bad news for 49ers with 2 high-priced trade targets

Reunions with DJ Jones or DeForest Buckner don’t appear to be on the table for the 49ers.

It’s unclear whether the San Francisco 49ers’ lack of activity in the trade market is a sign of a quiet trade deadline, or a calm before the storm.

The 49ers may be aiming to bolster a handful of positions at the deadline, but the interior of the defensive line remains perhaps their biggest area of need following defensive tackle Javon Hargrave’s season-ending triceps injury.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, the two biggest names floating around the trade rumor mill aren’t anticipated to be available.

The Athletic’s Diana Russini on Saturday reported neither Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner nor Denver Broncos DT DJ Jones are expected to be available before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Both former 49ers would plug into San Francisco’s current defensive line and offer upgrades in run stopping and as pass rushers. The 49ers are working with a rotating cast of replacements for Hargrave, and they’ve now dipped into their practice squad to bring undrafted rookie Evan Anderson into that rotation.

Jones is in the final year of a three-year, $30 million deal he signed with Denver ahead of the 2022 season. The 2017 sixth-round pick of the 49ers has 11.0 sacks and 32 tackles for loss across 100 games in the NFL.

Buckner, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft by the 49ers, is in the first year of a two-year, $46 million extension he signed this offseason. He’s due $23 million guaranteed next year, with no guaranteed money in 2026 before the contract voids in 2027 per Over the Cap.

The 49ers could comfortably fit both players under the salary cap which helps if they want to try and overpay to coax the Broncos or Colts into moving one of their starting defensive tackles.

Russini also confirmed reporting that Patriots DT Davon Godchaux is available. That may be the kind of move the 49ers have to settle for since the big swings for Buckner or Jones don’t appear to be on the table.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

 

49ers will have to fight off division rival to trade for breakout star DE

The Cardinals have called the Giants about Azeez Ojulari. The 49ers should do the same.

Finding help in the trade market will be imperative for the San Francisco 49ers getting back on track to make a Super Bowl run.

There may also be an additional motivation for the 49ers to get active before the trade deadline: keeping a potential season-changing player away from an NFC West rival.

According to the Athletic’s Diana Russini, the New York Giants are taking calls on breakout star edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. One of the teams keeping in touch with them is the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals.

Via the Athletic:

Teams that are keeping an eye on the 24-year-old include the Falcons, Cardinals and Bengals. The Giants are already paying Brian Burns and spent a top-five pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux, so with Ojulari set to hit free agency after the season, GM Joe Schoen is trying to get something in return for him now.

Ojulari this season has 19 pressures and 6.0 sacks through eight games after having his 2022 and 2023 seasons cut short due to injury.

He’s not a particularly effective run stopper, but the 49ers more desperately need pass rush help. Ojulari would quickly bolster a defensive end group that hasn’t gotten much production outside of Nick Bosa.

The Cardinals are even more desperate for help on the defensive side. They’re 29th in the NFL in pressure rate according to Pro Football Reference and their 15 sacks are tied for 24th in the NFL. Getting a player like Ojulari could help boost their chances of staying atop the division.

Perhaps the 49ers aren’t interested in making a trade or getting in a bidding war for a defensive end. If it means keeping the Cardinals from bolstering their defense while simultaneously helping their own chances to make the Super Bowl though, they should be absolutely get involved.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

49ers should make no-brainer move, trade for former All-Pro defensive lineman

This is a no-brainer move the 49ers should make if it’s there.

There’s a clear top need for the San Francisco 49ers with the 2024 NFL trade deadline approaching.

While the 49ers could use depth at several positions, the defensive line is the unit that they’d benefit the most from upgrading. Despite improved production in the secondary, San Francisco’s defensive philosophy revolves disruptive play up front.

If the Indianapolis Colts are willing to do business, the 49ers should aim to bring back their former first-round pick DeForest Buckner. He was on IR with a high ankle sprain, but returned for the Colts’ Week 8 matchup with the Houston Texans.

From the 49ers’ perspective, the fit is a no-brainer despite the injury.

They need an interior defensive lineman who can push the pocket as a pass rusher while also holding up well against the run. Buckner one of the most consistent players at the position in the NFL. He’s never had fewer than 48 pressures in a season, and he’s had at least 7.0 sacks every year since 2019. Not to mention his fit would be seamless on a club he spent the first four years of his career with.

The Colts signed Buckner, 30,  to a two-year, $46 million deal in the offseason. He’ll be owed $23 million guaranteed next year with no additional guaranteed money after that. San Francisco could drop his cap hit next year by either restructuring his deal or extending him and spreading that cap hit out over a few seasons.

It’s a little murkier from the Colts’ perspective. They’re 4-4 heading into Week 9 and two games back of the AFC South-leading Texans.

They’ve also made a change at quarterback by plugging in veteran Joe Flacco for struggling 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson. That’s a clear indication they’re trying to win now and probably not eager to give up a key piece of their defensive line.

However, if Indianapolis falls to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in their final game before the trade deadline, they might be more eager to make a deal and recoup an asset or two for Buckner knowing the playoffs are probably not in the cards for them this season.

If Buckner can be had for something like a third or fourth-round pick in next year’s draft, the 49ers should be first in line to make that deal.

Trading him away initially was a mistake. Trading to get him back could save their season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers can’t continue waiting to get aggressive in trade market

The 49ers can’t sit around and wait for the trade market to dry up.

It’s clear after eight weeks that the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, as currently constructed, isn’t a viable Super Bowl contender.

Injuries have played a role, to be sure, but the 49ers badly need help at multiple positions if they’re going to make a run after their Week 9 Bye.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, they won’t have another game before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. They know everything they’re going to know about their roster by the time the deadline passes, save for how running back Christian McCaffrey will respond as he ramps up to return from his Achilles tendinitis.

San Francisco has been aggressive in the trade market in the past, and it’s time for them to hit the gas pedal again.

The Kansas City Chiefs, a Super Bowl contender, have already acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans and edge rusher Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. Hopkins was available for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft. Uche was had for a 2026 sixth-round selection.

Perhaps San Francisco wasn’t looking for a receiver of Hopkins’s caliber, but they need edge help and Uche would have been an upgrade over a player like Robert Beal.

Elsewhere in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens bolstered their receiving corps by sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for WR Diontae Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending knee injury. They filled that gaping hole by dealing a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round pick.

These are Super Bowl contenders that have identified areas of weakness on their rosters and sent out relatively limited draft capital to buttress them. If the 49ers want to be in that group, they should be acting now before other contenders start scooping up available contributors.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How 49ers win over Cowboys impacts their trade deadline moves

The 49ers’ win over the Cowboys makes their trade deadline easy: Buy, buy, buy.

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in an interesting spot with the NFL trade deadline looming on Nov. 5 at 1:00pm Pacific Time.

With a 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers pushed their record to 4-4 and put them in a tie for the NFC West lead with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

They figure to get running back Christian McCaffrey back after the Bye week, injecting new life into an offense that struggled to find the end zone for much of the first half of the year.

Had the 49ers lost to the Cowboys, they might have become sellers at the trade deadline with a couple of key players like cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir headed to free agency and big paydays in the offseason.

However, a win puts San Francisco firmly in the buyers market.

This is a team that in 2021 was 3-5 at one point before finishing 10-7 and making the playoffs. In 2022 they were 3-4 and then won 10-consecutive games to win the division.

Given the impact McCaffrey figures to have, the 49ers can easily talk themselves into contending in 2024.

They need help on the defensive line and at linebacker. Their wide receiver room is a little thin as well. Offensive line help is always welcome, and running back depth could insulate them from a setback from McCaffrey or ongoing issues with RB Jordan Mason’s shoulder that he re-injured Sunday night.

What player(s) the 49ers acquire at the deadline will depend largely on market, injuries, and an internal analysis of their roster. They’ll surely be aggressive in making acquisitions ahead of the deadline though now that they’ve pulled themselves to 4-4 going into their Bye week.

The 49ers won’t get to play another game to analyze what they need, so they can get to work ASAP to find upgrades that may help them rise back into the ranks of Super Bowl contender.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers insider offers intriguing trade idea to add familiar face at RB

A 49ers reporter had a dynamite trade idea:

The San Francisco 49ers may have to get creative to fix some of the holes on their roster left behind by injuries.

One spot they’ve yet to fill is the one vacated by running back Christian McCaffrey when he was placed on Injured Reserve. They may choose not to fill that spot with a running back, but given their depth problem at the position it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them look to improve the quality behind Jordan Mason.

While the free-agent market is always an option, the Athletic’s Matt Barrows offered an intriguing trade idea instead.

Barrows suggested in a mailbag following the 49ers’ Week 2 loss to the Vikings that San Francisco get in touch with the Miami Dolphins and old friend Mike McDaniel. Miami is dealing with another concussion for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and placed him on IR.

Their rosters align well enough that a trade could help both teams.

Via Barrows:

I made this point on X last week, but the 49ers need a reliable running back, and the Miami Dolphins seem to need a quarterback. The Dolphins have an abundance of runners who are in the same offense as San Francisco’s, and the 49ers have two backup quarterbacks who are about equal in the eyes of Shanahan and who could quickly slide into Mike McDaniel’s attack.

Conclusion: Joshua Dobbs for Raheem Mostert. Or maybe Brandon Allen for Jeff Wilson Jr. Who says no?

While the 49ers may not want to part with one of their trio of QBs, there isn’t a better back available in the free agent market than either Mostert or Wilson.

San Francisco knows what both players provide its offense, and they’d be able to deploy them as quality backups to take some of the workload off of Mason. Last season Mostert made his first Pro Bowl and scored a whopping 21 touchdowns. It’s difficult to believe the Dolphins would be willing to give him up for a backup QB in a trade. He’s also dealing with a chest injury that isn’t considered major, but it did hold him out of Miami’s Week 2 matchup with the Bills.

Wilson may be more available, and his hard-nosed running style is a nice complement to Mason. Having a couple of battering rams to throw at defenses would make life extremely difficult for opponents late in games. Wilson has only five carries for the Dolphins so far this season, and he appears to be at least third and possible fourth on the depth chart when Miami’s backfield is fully healthy.

Adding either player would dramatically improve the 49ers’ backfield depth. It would also give San Francisco a player that head coach Kyle Shanahan trusts in his offense. This is absolutely a call the 49ers should be making if they haven’t already.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers may have to get active in trade market with final cuts looming

Don’t be surprised if the 49ers are busy in the trade market.

The San Francisco 49ers may have some work to do to shore up some key areas of their roster.

Final cuts are due at 1:00pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, and a quick run through of their potential 53-man roster exposes a couple of areas where depth is a real problem for the 49ers. On the other hand, there are a couple spots where they have excess talent and may have to let go of an NFL-caliber player.

Those two things may lead the 49ers to get active in the trade market early in the season.

Let’s start at quarterback where Josh Dobbs and Brandon Allen both made strong cases to be the team’s backup signal caller. It’s hard to envision San Francisco letting one of them go since they’d likely get scooped up to another team’s 53-man roster.

Perhaps the 49ers want to keep three QBs. However, reliable QB play is scarce enough in the NFL that one of Dobbs or Allen could fetch a decent return in a trade where San Francisco lets one of them go.

Running back is another position where the 49ers could execute a trade. If Jordan Mason has passed Elijah Mitchell on the depth chart, it doesn’t leave any kind of role for Mitchell since he doesn’t contribute on special teams. In that event, the 49ers could aim to move their 2021 sixth-round pick and roll with Christian McCaffrey, Mason, and rookies Isaac Guerendo and Cody Schrader since they can both take on special teams roles.

Mitchell has been a good player for the 49ers when he’s been healthy, but availability has been a problem throughout his NFL career. It was a problem again this offseason when he missed a big chunk of camp because of a hamstring injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan trusts him, which may be enough to earn a roster spot, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 49ers try and move him for a draft pick.

Linebacker is the final spot where the 49ers may have a trade chip available. If they keep six LBs on their 53-man roster, it still leaves out one of Dee Winters, Jalen Graham, Curtis Robinson or Tatum Bethune. San Francisco may just try cutting one and getting them to the practice squad, but they could also move one for a late-round draft pick.

We saw them execute a similar move with undrafted rookie Jonas Griffith in 2021. San Francisco dealt Griffith to the Broncos with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Don’t be surprised if that’s the ultimate solution to the 49ers’ glut of LB options.

Moving on from players for late-round picks is nice for next year, but the 49ers may also need to get active in bringing in players.

Their depth at defensive end is rough, and more help there is going to be necessary at some point this season. They’ll likely scour the waiver wire as final cuts start rolling in to see if they can swipe a player without having to trade for one.

They should be on the phone before that though to eliminate other teams from the equation. If they can find a pass rusher that’s going to get cut, and they can trade a late pick for them, they should do so.

At this point of the year that trade isn’t going to land them a Pro Bowler. Their sudden injury issues at DE lower the bar for what they need at the position though. With Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos both working through knee sprains, San Francisco is dangerously thin at DE. Perhaps they love their in-house options, but adding another body or two at the position definitely wouldn’t hurt with a couple weeks to go until the regular season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers brass goes to usual playbook when talking Brandon Aiyuk trade

John Lynch wouldn’t guarantee that Brandon Aiyuk won’t be traded, but that’s no surprise.

The 49ers have a typical answer when it comes to questions about trading players, and they went back to it Tuesday during John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s press conference to open training camp.

Lynch and Shanahan almost always say they’ll do anything that makes their team better and that no trade is off the table. The one exception was last offseason during Nick Bosa’s prolonged contract negotiations that bled all the way into Week 1 of the regular season.

Last offseason Lynch unequivocally stated that Bosa would not be traded. He didn’t have the same answer Tuesday.

“Well, I did say that with Bosa and I felt that way, but I think, again, no absolutes there,” Lynch told reporers. “We fully intend on Brandon being a Niner moving forward. We’re always open to listen to things, but like I said, we expect Brandon to be an integral part of our team like he has been and excited about that.”

It’s not a surprise Lynch went back to the standard answer after straying with Bosa.

The fact is Bosa plays perhaps the second-most important position on the roster for the 49ers. He was coming off a Defensive Player of the Year award and offered a cornerstone pass rusher on a team that prioritizes that group above all else on defense.

Unless the Chiefs were going to offer something like Patrick Mahomes for Bosa, the DE wasn’t getting moved.

While Lynch may not anticipate moving Aiyuk, which it doesn’t sound like he is, the wide receiver position doesn’t hold as much weight on the 49ers’ roster as defensive end. If a team wanted to send their top pass rusher or a good, younger, cheaper wide receiver, San Francisco might be spurred to action. Alas, such a trade would have materialized by now and unless the 49ers are fleecing the team they’re trading with they don’t have much incentive to send the All-Pro elsewhere.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]