SF 49ers: 5 trade targets for John Lynch before 2020 deadline
By Peter Panacy
With the 2020 NFL trade deadline approaching, 49ers general manager John Lynch should consider making moves to land these five players.
With a 2-3 record five weeks into the regular season, it’s not totally likely the SF 49ers are going to be active buyers between now and the 2020 NFL trade deadline.
Sure, the playoffs are still well within reach, and a quick Niners turnaround could ultimately make fans forget some of the ugliness that has followed the team over its opening five-week stretch.
That said, general manager John Lynch isn’t exactly armed with a lot in his toolbox to pull off a massive blockbuster trade, at least not of the variety where he lands an impact player in exchange for NFL Draft pick compensation. Considering San Francisco’s salary cap situation going into 2021, those rookie contracts are going to be valuable.
Yet there are still plenty of trade-worthy targets potentially out there on the market worth considering.
Here are five Lynch and Co. should pursue between now and the deadline.
SF 49ers Target No. 5: Defensive Back Desmond King, Los Angeles Chargers
The rash of injuries the Los Angeles Chargers have suffered this season, particularly within their secondary, is a prime reason why trading for fourth-year pro defensive back Desmond King doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Still, that doesn’t prevent the idea of King being a likable target if made available.
King, a fifth-round selection from the 2017 NFL Draft, has emerged as a starter in a defensive alignment very similar to what San Francisco runs. He’s thrived in that role, too, playing both over the slot and on the boundary, adding to his versatility.
Depending on how the Chargers’ season goes, at 1-4, they could easily be looking at selling between now and the trade deadline, potentially seeing if King could catch anything on the open market.
Currently, the SF 49ers are poised to lose cornerbacks Richard Sherman, K’Waun Williams, Jason Verrett and Ahkello Witherspoon in free agency this offseason.
A trade-and-sign deal, particularly if the asking price is low enough, would be a wise move from Lynch’s vantage point.