How should 49ers approach 2019 NFL trade deadline?

With the San Francisco 49ers still undefeated, this season’s potential has skyrocketed. Niner Noise breaks down how the team should approach the 2019 NFL trade deadline.

The San Francisco 49ers won an ugly game against the Washington Redskins, outlasting them 9-0 in Week 7. Despite the optics, the team still remains undefeated and enters this week facing a very winnable game against the Carolina Panthers.

At 6-0, the Niners have matched their highest win total since former head coach Jim Harbaugh was fired, a testament to the success of this team and the failures of the past. Now seven weeks in, the 49ers can start looking beyond just the regular season and focus on a potential playoff run.

The biggest addition the Niners will receive during the 2019 NFL trade deadline will be their own players. Tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon will all return soon, giving the 49ers a much-needed boost. The exact ETAs are available here, courtesy of NBC Sports. That leaves only one position where they will be lacking: wide receiver.

Without question, the biggest issue with the 49ers has been their passing performance. Through play calling and performance, the wide receivers have been a non-factor in most games, with brief bright spots in otherwise forgettable appearances. Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy mentioned as much when dinging Dante Pettis as an underwhelming player from the Redskins game. The Niners have stayed undefeated because of their incredible tight end, George Kittle, and the dominant running game.

The 49ers will have the option of activating receivers Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd off injured reserve, but Taylor is best suited for a third-down possession slot receiver role, while Hurd still is  raw at the position and has yet to see a snap in regular-season NFL action.

For that reason, the Niners are reportedly trying to acquire a wide receiver per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (h/t 49erswebzone). While La Canfora’s reporting has not always been the most accurate, other reports such as this, by Benjamin Albright, corroborate this claim:

La Canfora listed A.J. Green, Mohammed Sanu and Devante Parker as other options along with Emmanuel Sanders.

Sanu ended up being acquired by the New England Patriots on Tuesday, so he’s out of the question.

The real question becomes compensation. Here’s where things get far more interesting. Green, Sanders and Parker would all become unrestricted free agents after this season, with Green and Sanders both probably commanding an offer strong enough to get a compensatory pick either in the third or fourth round. That gives the 49ers an extra 2021 pick, another incentive to make a trade.

On the flip side, the Niners are looking at a late-round pick in one of the strongest wide receiver drafts to date. With a plethora of talent available, the 49ers would be remiss to sacrifice that much cap flexibility for a likely rental.

The best way to reconcile these issues and get the best result is a trade with primarily 2021 picks. Trading a 2021 second, while not ideal, is far less damaging with a 2021 third- or fourth-round pick on the way. A fifth-round pick this year and a third-round pick next year would probably be able to get these receivers, and that may be a high-level offer, given the circumstances.

The 49ers are in an enviable spot, but like all teams, they have to balance the present and the future. This may be the best opportunity.

The 2019 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. ET.