5 players SF 49ers should try moving at 2020 NFL trade deadline
By Peter Panacy
At 2-3 five weeks into the season, the SF 49ers suddenly find themselves in a “sellers” category ahead of the 2020 NFL trade deadline.
Yes, the SF 49ers need to recognize the reality they won’t be making it to the Super Bowl this season.
Not after a 2-3 start to their 2020 campaign, which most recently saw an ugly and woefully uninspiring 43-17 debacle of a defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5, which calls into question the nature of work head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch must perform to get the franchise heading back in the right direction.
With the “easy” portion of the schedule now complete, and the Niners now looking at a seven-game stretch against teams who have a combined six losses on the season, the prospects for San Francisco finishing the year with four or five wins suddenly look very real.
To compound the issues, the SF 49ers have roughly $166 million in financial obligations to players next year, according to Over the Cap, which makes things tricky if the 2021 cap indeed drops to $175 million. This also doesn’t account for some key pending free agents, namely cornerback Richard Sherman, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, safety Jaquiski Tartt, left tackle Trent Williams and nickel back K’Waun Williams, among others.
And armed with only six picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, currently, one can see why the Niners treating the upcoming NFL trade deadline as would-be sellers might be the best long-term route for Lynch, Shanahan and Co.
It might be difficult for San Francisco to move some of the players it would otherwise like to move. Remember, teams don’t like to give up anything in exchange for anything but what should be considered an upgrade.
That said, the SF 49ers should at least explore trading these five players ahead of the deadline later this month.