3 reasons why DeForest Buckner trade benefits 49ers
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Clear over $12 Million in Cap Space
Re-signing Arik Armstead is going to cost something in the neighborhood of $17 million annually.
This isn’t particularly easy to do, considering the Niners had just around $10 million in available cap space as of Monday morning, according to Over the Cap. There is still work to be done here, as the 49ers still have some notable contracts to either dish out or extend, namely tight end George Kittle.
DeForest Buckner was scheduled to earn $12,378 million on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option in 2020. Without accounting for Armstead’s new contract, San Francisco was able to push in roughly $22 million in cap space.
Considering Kittle’s new deal won’t come cheap, and the 49ers will likely need to spend roughly $8 million to $10 million in order to lock up their rookie NFL Draft class, the financial ramifications of trading Buckner make life a little easier.
Yet the long-term ramifications go far beyond the immediate $12-plus million saved by trading Buckner. His new deal with the Colts, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is going to be worth roughly $21 million annually:
Trade AND deal: Colts trade first-round pick (13th overall) to 49ers for All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner, who already has agreed to a massive contract that pays him $21 million a year and makes him the second-highest paid DT in NFL history behind only Aaron Donald, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
San Francisco no longer has to spend that kind of money.