This moves me. I especially like the mentorship angle about this move. There’s a lot of young defensive linemen on this team that could really benefit from elite peer wisdom.
Kawakami: Adding DeForest Buckner might be just the start of the 49ers’ trade action (paywall)
“They’re almost certainly checking in on the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby and the Chargers’ Khalil Mack, among others; and hey, if you’ve got a good edge rusher you might let go for a third-round pick, give Lynch a call.
He’ll pick up the phone.
I guarantee it. If he hasn’t already dialed you up 10 or 20 times.
Sitting at 6-1 and in great playoff position heading into the bye, in the 10th year of the Shanahan/Lynch reign, the 49ers are moving all-in. You could feel the momentum for this gaining inside team HQ for weeks, and now it’s here.”
The 49ers have traded for DeForest Buckner
“The move for Buckner allows players like Valdez and Odighizuwa to become role players. It takes some off Gracen Halton’s plate. The pecking order and domino effect should make everybody better.
Plus, the Buckner is used to playing against double teams. In the first month of the season, Buckner was double-teamed on 36.4% of his pass rushes. That’s a number that’s actually down from 49.5%. That’s because Buckner has aligned at 5-technique or wider on 13.3% of his snaps, the highest rate since he entered the league.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Buckner recorded three sacks, which was tied for the second-most among interior defensive linemen. What sets Buckner apart is his ability to turn pressures into sacks. Per Next Gen Stats, Buckner was converting 30% of his pressures into sacks, which was the highest rate of any season for a defensive lineman since 2018.
Theoretically, Buckner should see an increase in production with the number of times the 49ers use a 5-down front, not to mention having Nick Bosa on the field.”
Colts trade DT DeForest Buckner to 49ers in another major move
“Buckner, 32, is entering the final year of his deal with the Colts and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Had Buckner signed this offseason with another team, the highest compensatory draft pick the Colts could have received was a 2028 fifth-round selection since he is an 11-year NFL veteran. With the trade, the Colts netted a 2027 fourth-round pick instead.”
49ers game review: Dre Greenlaw’s yelling points to screaming need for cornerback depth (paywall)
“Before the snap, Greenlaw was animatedly clapping his hands, telling Jones, who was playing left outside cornerback, to protect the left flat. Instead, Jones covered wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who ran a go route. The result: QB Michael Penix flipped a 19-yard completion to the all-alone Robinson.
After Greenlaw tackled Robinson on the right sideline, he got up in balled-fist fury and began barking at Jones.”
49ers minutia minute: Brock Purdy didn’t complete a pass to a WR until the third quarter (paywall)
“The 49ers had only seven missed tackles, though two of them were by Brown. He leads the team with seven missed tackles, one more than Warner and Greenlaw.”
49ers overreactions: Would trading for star left guard be most helpful?
“The defensive line also is an area where the 49ers could look to add. The 49ers deploy a nine-man rotation along the D-line, so they never can have too many good players to cycle through during the course of a game.”
