49ers 2020 NFL free agency tracker: Latest moves, rumors and updates
By Peter Panacy
49ers Trade DeForest Buckner to Colts for a Round 1 NFL Draft Pick
Re-signing Arik Armstead was going to mean the Niners had to make some tough decisions regarding their own star talent.
Turns out, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was going to be the subject matter of star talent being on the move before the start of free agency.
San Francisco traded Buckner and his fully guaranteed $12,378 million fifth-year option to the Indianapolis Colts on Monday in exchange for a first-round NFL Draft pick, No. 13 overall. Buckner is now scheduled to sign a new deal in Indy worth an average annual salary of about $21 million per season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
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
There was no way the 49ers would have been able to afford that kind of cap hit, and it probably explains why the team was unable to work out a lengthy contract extension with the 2018 Pro Bowler over the course of 2019.
This move, while opening up some questions along the defensive line, at least gives the Niners some flexibility with their current cap space and a much-needed draft resource later this April.