The San Francisco 49ers started their bye week with a splash, trading for DeForest Buckner to add another veteran to their defensive tackle room. The move wasn’t too costly, as the 49ers sent a 2027 fourth-round pick for the 32-year-old defensive tackle, who is in the final year of his contract.
On Thursday, we saw the Chicago Bears make a major move, trading two first-round picks and more for Tennessee Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, positioning themselves as a top contender in the NFC
alongside the 49ers.
This deadline could end up being a busy one, with the Super Bowl race feeling quite open overall. The 49ers are at the top of the board, as they’re the current Super Bowl favorites. And they might not be done yet after the Buckner deal, with potential needs at edge rusher, wide receiver, and even cornerback.
However, a trade for a star wide receiver doesn’t seem likely, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
Speaking on KNBR, Maiocco addressed the possibility of the 49ers going after Garrett Wilson or another star receiver following the Bears move for Simmons.
“The player that I’ve heard the fans are clamoring for that would be along the lines of a Jeffery Simmons would be maybe on the other side of the ball: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, where you would have to give up a lot because he’s under contract for a while,” Maiocco shared on Thursday. “But he’s also under contract for a while at a salary up around $30 million a year.”
Instead of a splash like that, the insider suggested a smaller move like San Francisco’s trade for Keion White last year that allows the 49ers to keep their draft capital and remain balanced.
“I think that what the 49ers could do would be something similar to what they did last year in getting Keion White,” Maiocco continued, “where you don’t necessarily know too much about the player, but he’s on a fixed salary for this year and the next, and maybe he’s fallen out of favor or doesn’t fit a new coach’s scheme.
“So, I could see where something like that would happen, but with as many high-priced players as the 49ers have on the team now, currently, and who remain under contract to the team for years to come, I don’t see them adding another 30-plus or $25 million player and giving up the first-round draft picks. I think the 49ers value those first-round draft picks.”
Earlier in the season, I was against the idea of the 49ers going after a wide receiver on the trade market. After all, following their returns from injury, the 49ers are expected to have Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, De’Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing as their roster room. Is it an elite room? No.
But that group of players could be good enough for the 49ers high-octane offense, with Evans as the clear No. 1. The big question is health, and whether Evans needs a better complementary piece, such as Brian Thomas Jr.
It feels like the top priority for the 49ers next is an edge rusher. Perhaps the 49ers go the cheap route there again and look to develop a younger player, but that room definitely feels like an area to add ahead of the deadline.
