5 workable trades 49ers could make during 2020 offseason
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Defensive End Solomon Thomas to the Bengals
As easier trade the digest, perhaps.
The 49ers will never get the full return on investment they made in their 2017 top NFL Draft pick, defensive end Solomon Thomas, whom they selected at No. 3 overall. Three full years into his career, Thomas has been relegated to backup status.
Granted, the Niners defensive line was and is stacked, and depth is important. But San Francisco is poised to shell out a full $8,958,213 for Thomas’ fourth year. All of it would be dead money, too, if the 49ers waive him.
That’s a ton of cash for a rotational player. So the trick to moving Thomas would be finding a team willing to take a low-cost flier on a good player with some potential left, while also being able to absorb the short-term high cost associated with Thomas’ contract.
Enter the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 2-14 Bengals, who own the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, finished with one of the league’s worst defenses in 2019. They’ll likely use their first pick in the draft on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, too, meaning their defensive needs are going to be shelved until later.
With nearly $45 million in available cap space this offseason, Cincinnati has plenty of money to absorb Thomas’ final year, also having the flexibility to extend a fifth-year option, should Thomas’ change of scenery pan out favorably.
If a full-on rebuild is in order for the Bengals, shipping off a fourth-round selection to the 49ers for Thomas would be a great move, getting a still-young defender who could use a fresh start, while the Niners clear cap space and add to their draft stockpile in return.