49ers trades – Syndication Server

It turns out teams don’t often trade up into back of Round 1 for QB

If the 49ers are able to trade back from No. 31 it’s unlikely it’ll be because of a quarterback.

The 49ers are in a tough spot in the 2024 draft where they’re slated to pick No. 31 overall. By the time the board shakes out they’ll likely be faced with a handful of prospects they’d like better as Day 2 selections. The obvious solution would be to identify a team that might want to jump up into the back of the first round for a chance to snag a quarterback with the fifth-year option that comes with a first-round pick. The problem is that doesn’t happen very often.

Typically the players identified as potential targets in a trade up into the first round are QBs. And it makes sense. A QB slipping that far may need a little development and having that fifth year option could be valuable either negotiating a long-term deal, or in evaluating whether to keep that player beyond their rookie contract. It turns out that idea is a fine one in theory, but QBs slipping that far generally wind up going in Round 2 or later.

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Since the fifth-year option was implemented as part of the CBA in 2011, only two teams have traded up into the back of the first round for a quarterback. The Vikings did it in 2014 when they sent pick Nos. 40 and 108 to the Seahawks in exchange for the No. 32 selection where they picked QB Teddy Bridgewater.

The Ravens executed a similar deal in the 2018 draft to select QB Lamar Jackson. Baltimore sent pick Nos. 52 and 125, and a 2019 second-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for pick Nos. 32 and 132.

And that’s it. That concludes the history of teams trading up into the first round for a quarterback in the fifth-year-option era. If Bo Nix and/or Michael Penix Jr. slip to No. 31 this year, there’s a much higher likelihood they’re still on the board in Day 2 than there is a team jumps up to pick them at the end of Day 1.

For the 49ers a trade back might come from a club looking to jump the Chiefs for a wide receiver. Or a cornerback might slip that another team values more than San Francisco. There are definitely options and scenarios where a trade up into Round 1 involves a QB, but the 49ers aren’t likely to benefit from that since such a move has been a rarity across the last 12 drafts.

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How Amon-Ra St. Brown contract might facilitate Brandon Aiyuk trade

The Lions signed Amon-Ra St. Brown to a monster contract extension that may push Brandon Aiyuk’s price out of the #49ers’ range.

There’s a new contract on the wide receiver market, and it’s resetting how WRs will get paid moving forward. It’s also resetting what standard 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk may be looking for in a deal.

The Lions and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $120 million with $77 million guaranteed according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

While the 49ers will surely want to give Aiyuk something in the range of what Eagles WR DeVonta Smith received – three years, $75 million – Aiyuk’s camp is going to circle the St. Brown deal that put the Lions WR’s average annual value north of $30 million.

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St. Brown over his three NFL seasons has posted similar numbers to Aiyuk with 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns. In that same stretch Aiyuk has 3,183 yards and 20 touchdowns. The key difference is Aiyuk has done it on 209 catches where St. Brown has hauled in 315.

A report from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver on Tuesday indicated the 49ers weren’t willing to go way up north of $25 million annually. It’s hard to believe given that information that something beyond $30 million will be on the table for them.

If the team can’t get Aiyuk to come down from that number, they may be incentivized to move him during this year’s draft where teams like the Jaguars, Steelers and Colts could all be suitors. In the event they don’t deal him and they can’t come to an agreement on an extension, they risk losing him for nothing more than a future compensatory pick in the offseason.

On the other hand, the St. Brown deal could be structured in a way that puts the number below an actual $30 million AAV and into something more palatable that the 49ers could conceivably replicate with their star receiver.

While general manager John Lynch expressed a desire to keep Aiyuk and said he wouldn’t anticipate the WR not being on the 49ers’ roster by Friday – the second day of the draft – there are financial factors at play that may force San Francisco’s hand. And in that case we may not see Aiyuk in a 49ers uniform again.

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Finally, a hypothetical Brandon Aiyuk trade that makes some sense

If (IF) the 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk, this is the type of seismic deal to expect:

Hypothetical Brandon Aiyuk trades have been one of the topics du jour this NFL draft season. Much of the trade chatter around the 49ers’ star wide receiver has been publicly refuted by Aiyuk’s agent, but that hasn’t stopped some wild potential trades from being thrown about on the internet.

For the most part the fake Aiyuk trades haven’t been grounded in reality. The 49ers don’t want to move Aiyuk and there’s no reason at press time to believe he’s going to want a contract beyond what the 49ers will be willing to stomach. Still, most trades have been structured as though San Francisco is just looking to punt on the Second-Team All-Pro. Thankfully, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in his mock draft that features trades at every pick actually proposed the type of trade we might see if Aiyuk does get moved.

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It’s worth noting the 49ers would have suitors for Aiyuk if they made him available. The chances they’d acquiesce to a trade that landed them anything less than a first-round pick in this year’s draft seem slim. That’s why Barnwell’s proposed trade works. He has San Francisco sending Aiyuk and pick Nos. 31 and 94 in this year’s draft to the Los Angeles Chargers for pick Nos. 5 and 181 this year.

To be clear, Barnwell isn’t reporting this deal. However, if we see Aiyuk dealt on Draft Night, it’ll likely be in a deal of this magnitude. It’ll be one that moves the needle pretty significantly. There’s unlikely to be a trade that features the 49ers receiving a second-round pick and a couple of other later selections.

At the fifth overall pick San Francisco would have a strong foundation to either get Aiyuk’s replacement with whichever of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze is available and atop their board. They’d also likely have their pick of offensive tackles at No. 5 overall. If they could snag a player like Notre Dame OT Joe Alt it’s hard to envision a scenario where they don’t come out of Day 1 of the draft as a pretty big winner.

Then they’d have an opportunity on Day 2 to either get aggressive in Round 2 and move up, or trade down into the third and pick up some additional capital later on Day 2 or in Day 3.

Our official stance is that we don’t believe Aiyuk will be dealt. This is a fascinating scenario though and the 49ers would have to put themselves in that kind of top-five position to even begin justifying shipping out a rising young superstar.

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49ers NFL draft moves hinge on RT Colton McKivitz

Everything is on the table for the #49ers in the first round of this year’s draft, and how they move will come down to … Colton McKivitz.

This year’s NFL draft should tell us a lot about how the 49ers view the value of a stout offensive line, and how much they believe right tackle Colton McKivitz will realistically improve over the offseason.

Most of the consensus on the 49ers’ needs, including this website, puts offensive tackle as the clear-cut top priority. It’s hard to imagine San Francisco doesn’t view its roster the same way.

However, while most mock drafts have the 49ers either trading up or reaching for an OT prospect at the end of Round 1, there’s a pretty easy path to draw where San Francisco opts to improve its long-term outlook over finding an upgrade at right tackle and/or heir apparent to left tackle Trent Williams. Their willingness and desire to trade up will come entirely down to how the team feels about McKivitz internally. They signed him to a two-year, $4.56 million extension last offseason, and then gave him an additional one-year extension this offseason worth up to $7 million. Those dollar amounts don’t necessarily tell us one way or the other what the team believes they’ll get from the 28-year-old moving forward.

If the club is out on McKivitz’s long-term outlook at tackle, history tells us they’ll make a big move to find his replacement.

They did so when they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts in 2020 and immediately snagged his replacement, Javon Kinlaw, with the pick they acquired from Indianapolis. That same year they badly needed help in their receiving corps, so they traded up in the back of Round 1 to pick WR Brandon Aiyuk. Then when they needed a long-term answer at QB, they took the biggest swing in team history to move up to the No. 3 overall pick to draft Trey Lance.

This is a front office that isn’t afraid to jump up in the draft, but more recent history tells us they’ll only do so to address a glaring need. If they believe McKivitz is a player they simply can’t move forward with, then we should expect San Francisco to be aggressive in pursuing a trade up to find one of a deep OT class’s top players.

On the other hand, they may not view McKivitz as the kind of player who needs to be immediately replaced. He wasn’t great in 2023, but he was also not an abomination that needs replacing or it will derail the 49ers’ entire season. Adding competition there instead of handing him the job like they did last year may be enough to make the club feel good about its right tackle situation heading into camp. In this scenario, it’s hard to envision San Francisco making a significant jump up the board.

As with all things there’s a gray area between the two extremes that the 49ers may also be hoping to fall in. They could also be okay with McKivitz, but eager to add high-end competition for him where they’re happy to sit at No. 31 and take the best OT that happens to fall to them. In that case they’re adding a potential starter, but they’re using just one pick to acquire that player which makes it more palatable if they’re unable to beat out McKivitz on Day 1.

The 49ers won’t divulge their plans and in the lead up to the draft on April 25 there’ll be plenty of connections between San Francisco and any tackle prospect that may slide outside the top 15 or so. How the team moves in this year’s three-day selection process could make or break their hopes to extend their Super Bowl window, and for now it appears those moves will come down to how they feel about McKivitz.

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Brandon Aiyuk’s social media post just following contract negotiation playbook

Don’t freak out about Brandon Aiyuk’s social media activity. (Do freak out if the 49ers trade him though).

Brandon Aiyuk on Monday sent various corners of the internet where 49ers fans reside into a tizzy with a simple Instagram post. The All-Pro wide receiver posted to his story a set of emojis that translated roughly to “money talks, defecation from some kind of horned bovine creature walks.”

The only thing keeping this from being a textbook play from a player negotiating a contract is that it wasn’t quite cryptic enough. The message was loud and clear (and not particularly groundbreaking): Aiyuk wants to get paid.

Aiyuk’s desire to achieve the proverbial bag this offseason isn’t a secret. It’s not a secret any time an ascending All-Pro player is due for his second NFL contract. The post from Aiyuk is a typical move to negotiate as best as possible through the public. He can control the discourse with a couple taps on his phone since general manager John Lynch is going to say all the right things publicly about how they’re working toward a deal and they want Aiyuk around long-term. He’ll also say things like the 49ers are okay with letting Aiyuk play out his fifth-year option.

While Lynch does that, Aiyuk can whip fans into a frenzy to try and apply some kind of external pressure on the 49ers.

That’s the extent of the damage he can do with a social media post though. The 49ers front office didn’t see Aiyuk’s IG story and have some kind of revelation that they may need to pay him top-five WR money. There have been zero points since the start of the 2023 season when that hasn’t been the case. He was stellar in 2022 and backed it up with an even better 2023. There are a million reasons they’ll want to keep him in the building.

We can expect more of this kind of thing going forward if other players contract negotiations are instructive at all. At some point there’ll be another social media post from Aiyuk or someone close to him indicating he’s on his way out. There will be teams and people followed and unfollowed on social media. Photos and posts will be deleted. There might even be a public trade demand in there.

None of these public negotiation tactics will ultimately matter because none of it is out of the ordinary. We’ve seen it time and time again, and it doesn’t alter the 49ers’ course of negotiations at all. Just like Lynch saying all the right things won’t change Aiyuk’s course of negotiation. What will matter is what’s going on behind closed doors.

It’s clear the 49ers want to keep Aiyuk, but they’ll have a price point. Whether Aiyuk’s price point falls at or below where the 49ers are willing to go remains to be seen. Those negotiations are certainly underway on some level, but they’ve likely not begun in earnest.

There are two deadlines, one hard and one soft. The hard deadline is the 2024 NFL draft which starts on Thursday, April 25. If San Francisco is going to trade Aiyuk it’s likely they’d want to do so by Day 1 of the draft to ensure they’re maximizing their return in a way that will help them this season.

The soft deadline is the start of training camp. The 49ers have typically done business in a way that sees long-term extensions get done either just before or early on in training camp. We saw defensive end Nick Bosa take his negotiations on a new contract up to the first week of the regular season, but that hasn’t been the usual timeline for San Francisco and its star players.

It’s unlikely there’s a smooth path to the conclusion of the Aiyuk saga. Regardless of how it ends there are going to be twists and turns. While we don’t know how this all will end, we do know it’s not going to turn either direction based on an either cryptic or not-so-cryptic social media post.

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Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors from 49ers perspective

All of the reasons people want their favorite team to trade for Brandon Aiyuk are all of the reasons the #49ers have to keep him.

The Brandon Aiyuk trade conversation has gotten rolling as the dust settles on free agency and the NFL draft approaches. Since San Francisco would likely be aiming to move the WR by Draft Day, the discussions about team fits and potential trade partners will ramp up substantially.

Jacksonville has come up as a potential suitor after they lost Calvin Ridley in free agency. Pittsburgh has also become a popular hypothetical destination after Aiyuk fed trade speculation with a tweet to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on March 19. It was Aiyuk’s first tweet since April 30, 2023.

The trade talks aren’t unfounded or ridiculous. Aiyuk is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, and it’s unlikely he’ll be willing to suit up without a long-term extension. San Francisco also doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room under the cap this year. There are ways they can structure the contract to make it more affordable in 2024 than his $14.2 million fifth-year option. More on this in a bit.

However, it’s not a slam dunk the 49ers get a deal done. They’ll have a value in mind and if Aiyuk’s camp wants something more than that number, then San Francisco will have to trade its No. 1 wide receiver.

To be clear, the 49ers don’t want to trade him. They’ve said as much publicly any time anyone with ears and a pulse is in the vicinity. All of the reasons pundits and writers and podcasters believe Aiyuk is a fit for one team are also reasons he’s a fit for the 49ers. He’s still just 26, has great hands, explosive athleticism and a dynamic route tree that makes him one of the toughest covers in the sport. Aiyuk has also become a dominant run blocker which will help his case with every offensive coach in the NFL.

This is why the 49ers will be working to ensure they’re locking up Aiyuk beyond the 2024 campaign. He’s their future on offense alongside quarterback Brock Purdy. Letting Aiyuk walk ensures a nearly bare offensive cupboard for their newly-minted franchise QB by the time 2026 rolls around. It’s hard to envision many scenarios where the 49ers are letting Aiyuk get out the door, particularly because finding players like him isn’t easy. The Titans jettisoning WR AJ Brown during the 2022 draft is instructive in this case. That’s a scenario the 49ers will want to avoid.

So, let’s get back to the money.

It’s easy to point to all of the high-dollar contracts of left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey and conclude the 49ers simply cannot pay another wide receiver. Giving Aiyuk $28 million per year means they’re giving their top two receivers nearly $52 million in average annual value. That’s a lot!

For this season though the deal could be structured in a way that actually saves the 49ers money against the cap this year. They could potentially cut Aiyuk’s $14.2 million cap hit in half to save money now while pushing his bigger cap hits into the future when the cap keeps climbing and some of the other sizable contracts come off their books.

There’s a harsh reality that comes with this though. That group of offensive weapons featuring Willams, Kittle, Samuel and McCaffrey may not be in the 49ers’ long-term plans. San Francisco has to start gearing up for the future where Aiyuk figures to be a major player for them entering his prime while Kittle, Samuel and McCaffrey all clear 30-years old and Williams pushes 40.

So as the trade rumors and speculation fly, and Aiyuk is lauded as a fit for teams because of his ability and age, the 49ers will be aiming to pay him for all of those exact same reasons. There’s a definite scenario where the two sides don’t come to a deal, but the 49ers will be bending over backward to try and ensure a key piece of their future is locked up long-term.

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Aaron Banks injury could change 49ers plans at trade deadline

The #49ers will improve their team however they can at the trade deadline, but Aaron Banks’ injury could throw a wrench into how they do that.

The 49ers have a number of improvements they could make to their roster at the trade deadline, but an injury to left guard Aaron Banks could shift their priorities.

San Francisco could use some assistance on the defensive line and in the secondary. Given their struggles getting stops the last couple weeks it would make sense if that was the top priority for general manager John Lynch when he’s making calls around the league.

However, Banks injured his toe in the team’s Week 8 loss to the Bengals and will miss a few weeks according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Losing Banks is significant for a 49ers offensive line that doesn’t have a ton of depth.

They’ll ideally get left tackle Trent Williams back after the bye week. Shanahan said he’s hopeful the week off will give Williams enough time to recover from a Week 6 ankle sprain. San Francisco has struggled without him anchoring the left side.

Even if they get him back in Week 10, they won’t have Banks for that game and perhaps a couple after that, leaving the team susceptible to some struggles on the left side of their offensive front. Running that way hasn’t been successful at all for the 49ers since Williams went down, and it could become a problem again with Banks – their second-best offensive lineman.

Jon Feliciano will likely replace him at left guard. When Banks left the team’s Week 5 win over the Cowboys with a shoulder injury it was Feliciano who stepped in and played well in a season-high 32 snaps.

The problem with Feliciano taking over at LG is that it essentially saps all of the 49ers’ quality depth along the interior. Feliciano is their only backup center, and Matt Pryor got all of his work at right tackle during the offseason. Their other option on the interior OL is second-year OL Nick Zakelj, who is still transitioning to guard after spending his college career at tackle. He’s probably not a player the 49ers want to rely a lot on.

That gives San Francisco a couple options in the trade market. They could take a big swing for a starting-caliber guard to plug in while Banks is out. That would certainly improve the team’s depth once Banks returns, and would give them some flexibility at both guard spots moving forward.

Another option is trading for a backup they’re more confident in than Zakelj or Pryor, who does have experience at guard in his career. This would give the 49ers some added flexibility if Feliciano needs to move to C while Banks is out, and some much-needed depth in the second half of the season to insulate them from another injury or two.

Ultimately they’re not going to pass up adding a helpful player at any position. Shanahan and Lynch always say they’ll make any move they believe will improve their team and they should be aiming to do that at the deadline regardless of position. The Banks injury though may change the nature and intention of Lynch’s phone calls as Tuesday’s 1:00pm Pacific Time deadline approaches.

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49ers announce DL Charles Omenihu trade along with several roster moves

The #49ers announced 6 other roster moves when they made the trade for DL Charles Omenihu official.

The 49ers on Tuesday officially announced the acquisition of defensive lineman Charles Omenihu along with a bevy of other roster moves as they set themselves to make additions with their injury situation improving.

Omenihu was acquired from the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2023. In 35 games since joining the Texans in 2019 as a fifth-round pick from the University of Texas, Omenihu has 80 pressures and 7.0 sacks per Pro Football Reference. His 16 pressures this season would rank him third on the 49ers behind Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead.

He spent most of his time in Houston playing on the edge, but at 6-5, 280 pounds he could play a role like Arik Armstead where he bounces around the defensive line based on the situation.

San Francisco announced six other roster moves when they made the trade official. While none of the moves in a vacuum will directly impact the team, they’re a sign that the club’s health is improving at a crucial point in their season. These are the other moves and what they mean for the 49ers:

49ers trade LB Jonas Griffith to Broncos

The #49ers are dealing a linebacker to the Broncos for draft picks with final cuts looming.

The 49ers agreed to a trade ahead of Tuesday’s 1:00 pm Pacific Time deadline for final cuts. They’re dealing linebacker Jonas Griffithdealing linebacker Jonas Griffith and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 seventh-round selection according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Griffith is a second-year undrafted linebacker who pushed his way into the conversation to make the roster after a strong training camp and preseason performance. He didn’t make the club last year and spent part of the season on the practice squad.

His departure is good news for LBs Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Marcell Harris, Elijah Sullivan and Justin Hilliard who are all vying for the final two or three spots on the back end of the LB depth chart.

NFL draft: 8 trade ideas for 49ers

Eight trades the San Francisco 49ers could explore in the 2021 NFL draft.

The 49ers already shook up the 2021 NFL draft when they moved up to the No. 3 overall pick. That shouldn’t be the extent of their dealings though.

They own nine picks and have a good mix of needs and draft capital that should allow them to move up and down the board multiple times.

It’ll be interesting to see exactly how aggressive they plan on being after their hyper-aggressive jump up to the top three, but their history since general manager John Lynch took over indicates they won’t hesitate to trade up for a player they value.

Whether it’s trading up or trading back, here are some trade ideas for the 49ers: