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NFL trade deadline: 49ers could send LT Joe Staley to the Eagles, but…

By Peter Panacy

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San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley could be a topic of rumors at the NFL trade deadline, particularly with the Philadelphia Eagles after losing Jason Peters, but here’s why it’s not a good idea.

The San Francisco 49ers are in all-out rebuild mode, and left tackle Joe Staley might easily be seen as one of the veteran commodities the team could move in an attempt to focus on the future.

Winless through seven games this season, general manager John Lynch has to know this year’s campaign is solely about what needs to be done in 2018, 2019 and beyond. After parting ways with linebacker NaVorro Bowman, it might be easy to see why Staley’s name could be mentioned as trade bait in advance of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.

The idea is compounded by the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss of perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, who tore both his ACL and MCL in Philly’s Monday Night Football win over the Washington Redskins.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

With Peters out for the rest of the year, trading off Staley to the Eagles makes sense, right? After all, the 6-1 Eagles certainly have Super Bowl aspirations, and premier left tackles are a prized commodity in the NFL right now.

Not so fast.

Sure, the Niners need all the investment capital they can get between now and 2018. Cap space isn’t an issue, but any and all picks for the NFL Draft would be welcomed by Lynch and Co. But moving Staley right now might actually cause more harm than good.

Offensive Linemen Are at a Premium in Today’s NFL

Granted, every player on any roster has a price tag. If the Eagles were to offer up two first-round picks for Staley, that would be one thing. But they won’t. Not even close.

Keep in mind, the 49ers are already hurting at a number of different positions, requiring Lynch’s attention elsewhere this upcoming offseason. Without getting too deep, one wouldn’t be surprised to see San Francisco’s draft priorities in this order:

  1. EDGE/LEO
  2. Cornerback
  3. Quarterback
  4. Wide Receiver
  5. Offensive Line
  6. Linebacker
  7. Tight End

Add a few other positions if you’d like.

The Niners have two better-than-average tackles in Staley and Trent Brown. While Staley, 33 years old, is winding down his NFL career, keeping him around through 2019, or so, would put off this specific area of need for a bit longer, allowing Lynch to focus his efforts on the other positions.

And remember, it’s not easy to land top-tier offensive tackle talent anymore.

Protecting the Quarterback… Development

Another area of note, one pointed out by the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, is the likelihood the 49ers invest in a quarterback this offseason.

Let’s assume they do so via the draft, hoping a rookie signal-caller will eventually be ready to go by 2019, possibly even taking some snaps at some point next year. One of the worst things for a young quarterback’s development it to essentially “throw him to the wolves” behind a porous offensive line.

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Just look at what the Houston Texans did to David Carr.

San Francisco’s O-line has enough problems as is, especially along the interior. The tackle positions are not part of those problems, so why would the Niners risk creating them?

Staley might no longer be a building block, given his age, but he’s at least the best holdover option until another presents itself.

So while it’s possible San Francisco moves a player like Staley, potentially to a tackle-needy team like the Eagles, the likelihood of it actually happening seems slim.

Next: 5 potential trade suitors for safety Eric Reid

Don’t expect it to happen between now and the deadline.