The 49ers haven’t been shy about building through trades, although these 10 inter-team moves rank as the best in franchise history.
In the middle of the 2020 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers broke a blockbuster move by engineering a trade with the Washington Football Team for perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, arguably a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes to be enshrined in Canton.
The move was special for a number of reasons. First, Williams would be reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Washington, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan. On top of that, the Niners were pulling off essentially an emergency move to replace the retiring Joe Staley, who anchored the left spot of San Francisco’s offensive line since 2007.
And all the 49ers had to give up in the process were two mid-round picks, a fifth rounder in 2020 and a Round 3 selection in 2021.
Not bad at all.
Williams might not stick around with the Niners long enough to be viewed as one of those cornerstone trades fans would talk about for generations. Yet it illustrates the point San Francisco has never been shy about improving its roster by way of the illustrious trade.
Some trades of yesteryear didn’t go so well. Few choose to remember the disastrous trade for former Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson back in 1978. Jettisoning Hall of Fame EDGE Charles Haley to the rival Dallas Cowboys wasn’t a great move either.
Yet there were plenty of other trades the various 49ers front offices made over the years that panned out to desired expectations, some certainly more than others. How about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo? Wide receiver Anquan Boldin? Yes, those moves worked out well enough.
Niner Noise looks at the 10 best trades in franchise history.
No. 10: Wide Receiver/Kicker Gordie Soltau
49ers traded a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver/kicker Gordie Soltau
We have to go all the way back to the early years of the franchise to find its first best trade.
In 1950, only a few years after their inception in 1946, the Niners made a move to reinforce their scoring efforts by trading away a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a player they already selected, wide receiver and placekicker Gordie Soltau.
Soltau would be a viable special teams ace, yes. But in 1951, his first year as a Pro Bowler, Soltau would record a team-leading 826 yards on 59 receptions and seven touchdowns over the course of 11 games played. The following year, in which he was named a first-team All-Pro, Soltau would back it up with a 55-catch, 774-yard, seven-touchdown campaign again.
He is also enshrined in the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame and comes in at No. 10 on this list of all-time traded-for greats.
No. 9: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
49ers acquired Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for 2018 second-round draft pick
Some may feel Jimmy G deserves to be a lot higher on this list, especially after his first full season as San Francisco’s starter netted him 3,978 passing yards, which just happened to fall fourth best on the franchise’s all-time single-season passing list.
Perhaps. And so does Garoppolo’s 19-5 regular-season record as the 49ers’ starting quarterback.
But Garoppolo hasn’t quite put together the accolade list to move him up the boards here. One good season, combined with that unforgettable five-game stretch after being acquired from the Patriots back in 2017, makes for a top 10.
Just not too much higher.
Still, it’s fair to argue Garoppolo to the Niners was one of the better steals in recent franchise memory. The Patriots couldn’t hang onto him and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady forever, and the 49ers were sure lucky to be the beneficiary of head coach Bill Belichick’s good graces.
Good graces… it’s tough to phrase that with Belichick.
No. 8: 49ers Offensive Guard Mike Iupati
Traded by Panthers as 2010 first-round pick (17th overall) to 49ers for 2009 second-round pick (43rd overall) and 2009 fourth-round pick (111th overall)
San Francisco had reworked its offensive line a bit in the years leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft, and they already had grabbed the Carolina Panthers’ top pick from a deal the previous season.
Earlier in Round 1 of the 2010 draft, the 49ers already selected Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis, yet soon-to-be general manager Trent Baalke doubled down on his O-line efforts by grabbing Idaho guard Mike Iupati with the pick acquired from Carolina.
Iupati would go on to have a very successful career with the Niners, even though it was short-lived. During his five-year tenure, Iupati would start all but five regular-season games and would be named a Pro Bowler three times during the span, including a first-team All-Pro nod in San Francisco’s Super Bowl year, 2012.
The Niners were unable to retain Iupati in 2015, however, and he’d leave to join their division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, in free agency.
No. 7: 49ers Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin
Traded by Ravens to 49ers for 2013 sixth-round pick (199th overall)
In 2013, the 49ers were desperately looking to reinvigorate their wide receiver room in support of their No. 1 option, Michael Crabtree. Randy Moss had left and A.J. Jenkins didn’t pan out the previous year.
So it seemed like a steal the Niners were able to lure away a player who hurt them in Super Bowl XLVII the previous February, wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who was well established as a tough, physical presence capable of making San Francisco’s receiver corps all the more dynamic.
Truth was, however, the Baltimore Ravens were going to move on from Boldin anyway, either through a trade or as a cap casualty. So in a sense, Baltimore got what it wanted, too: something in return.
For the Niners, however, Boldin would play a critical role in their run back to the NFC Championship game, falling just short to the Seattle Seahawks.
Boldin would record 1,000-plus yard seasons with San Francisco in 2013 and 2014, making him the first 49ers wideout to achieve this feat since Terrell Owens did it in 2003 and 2004.
Not bad for a sixth-round pick.
No. 6: 49ers Punter Andy Lee
Traded by Packers as 2004 sixth-round pick (188th overall) with 2004 seventh-round pick (226th overall) to 49ers for 2004 sixth-round pick (179th overall)
Yes, punters are people, too.
And San Francisco had one of the best in NFL history for a while there, Andy Lee, who was acquired by a 2004 NFL Draft trade with the Green Bay Packers who wanted to move up in Round 6.
With the newly acquired selection, the Niners would grab one of their cornerstone special teams aces for a long time.
Lee would go on to spend 11 years in San Francisco, setting numerous team records during the process while securing three Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections during that time.
Yes, the vast majority of Lee’s 49ers teams were bad, meaning he saw a lot of action. But he certainly made the most of it, and one can only guess how much worse those Niners teams would have been if Lee had been acquired by someone else instead.
No. 5: 49ers Linebacker NaVorro Bowman
Traded by Chargers as 2010 third-round pick (91st overall) with 2010 sixth-round pick (173rd overall) and a 2011 fourth-round pick (115th overall) to 49ers for 2010 third-round pick (79th overall)
Easily one of the best players to don a 49ers uniform this century, one has to remember linebacker NaVorro Bowman was also had by the way of a trade.
And it wasn’t the only time the Niners looked to an old-time AFC foe in California to purge draft picks.
San Francisco elected to move up in Round 3 of the 2010 NFL Draft, taking a chance on Penn State linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who despite his talents, had a little bit of a checkered past that caused his draft stock to fall.
The 49ers took that chance, which resulted in Bowman receiving four first-team All-Pro nominations over his stellar career in San Francisco spanning from his rookie year in 2010 into 2017.
Never sleep on those mid-round trades. Bowman is a case example.
No. 4: 49ers Defensive End Fred Dean
49ers traded a second-round pick in 1982 and swapped first-round picks with the San Diego Chargers in exchange for defensive lineman Fred Dean
San Francisco was putting together the finishing touches on what would end up being its first Super Bowl-winning team in 1981, and a key factor was trying to acquire some help for the pass rush.
The San Diego Chargers were going through a bit of a headache, financially, and offloading star defensive end Fred Dean was going to be one of the ways the Chargers made it through their fiasco.
Thanks to a second-round pick and Round 1 pick swap, the Niners got their defender, and Dean would help San Francisco win its first Super Bowl that season before wrapping up his pro career with the 49ers following 28 sacks with the team.
Dean would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
No. 3: 49ers Left Tackle Joe Staley
49ers traded a 2007 fourth-round pick (110th overall) and a 2008 first-round pick (seventh overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for pick No. 28 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft
Yes, Joe Staley was also acquired by the way of a trade.
In the late 2000s, the 49ers needed to reinforce their offensive line to offer up better protection for quarterback Alex Smith and more rushing lanes for running back Frank Gore. The Niners already used a top-10 selection on linebacker Patrick Willis, which was a no-brainer. But to get the offensive lineman they wanted, then-Vice President of Player Personnel Scot McCloughan sent off a 2008 first-round selection along with the 49ers’ Round 4 pick in the 2007 draft to grab a promising tackle out of Central Michigan.
The New England Patriots made good use of that fourth-round selection, too, grabbing wide receiver Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders. Yet Staley became a cornerstone piece for the Niners O-line, being named a Pro Bowler six times amid a fan-favorite career.
Staley’s retirement in 2020 opened up the door for the Trent Williams trade, too.
No. 2: 49ers Quarterback Steve Young
49ers traded a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL Draft in exchange for quarterback Steve Young
It’s amazing to think the number of Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame-caliber players the 49ers have acquired over the years via trades.
And the No. 2 player on this list is, perhaps, the best example of grabbing someone in a dead-end situation and turning him into a household name.
In 1987, the Niners had to start thinking about finding an heir apparent to their franchise signal-caller, Joe Montana, even though he was still very much in the prime of his career. Bill Walsh was never hesitant about moving on from players too soon, especially if adequate replacements could be found.
And Walsh found one by plucking quarterback Steve Young away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mere fourth-round pick after Young’s career in Florida was seemingly going nowhere.
While Young’s presence alongside Montana created some early controversy, the former’s ascent to the throne in the 1990s placed him in the category of all-time greats, well deserving of the No. 2 spot on this list.
Behind the obvious No. 1, of course.
No. 1: 49ers Wide Receiver Jerry Rice
49ers traded a first-round pick (28th overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft, a second-round pick (56th overall), and a third-round pick (84th overall) to New England Patriots for a first-round pick (16th overall) and a third-round pick (75th overall)
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It’s crazy to think the greatest NFL player of all time, wide receiver Jerry Rice, might have actually enjoyed his career with, gulp… the Cowboys?
Then-head coach Bill Walsh wanted the promising wideout from Mississippi Valley State. The only problem was Rice was pegged as a mid-round pick in Round 1, and the Niners owned the final pick in the round after coming off a Super Bowl win the previous season.
No worries, though. Walsh calmly touched base with the Patriots who had the No. 16 overall pick, one spot ahead of the dreaded Cowboys.
Fortunately, 15 other teams elected to pass on Rice, and Dallas never got the chance to land the greatest
wide receiver
player in NFL history.
Thank you, Walsh. Your choice and trade jockeying made for one of the greatest moves in sports history.