SF 49ers: 5 players John Lynch needs to have on trade block
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers Linebacker Kwon Alexander
Given his current contract, it might be awfully difficult for the SF 49ers to trade veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander, who owns a $4.57 cap hit against the 2020 number this season. And in 2021, that number jumps up to potentially $16.5 million.
Yet if the Niners were somehow able to convince a would-be buyer that Alexander would be worth moving, doing so would clear nearly $14 million off the books in cap space next season — money the cap-pressed SF 49ers could desperately use to re-sign other players of importance. For a team looking for a defensive overhaul between now and next season, a veteran’s presence like Alexander could be useful even if San Francisco might have to take a late-round pick in return to clear some cap space.
Alexander’s own value to the SF 49ers has diminished this season, and he’s essentially the third-best option behind linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who have outplayed him. While boasting a trio of starting-caliber linebackers offers up tremendous rotational abilities, it’s a luxury the Niners can’t afford for very long.
Certainly not into next season, prompting the idea of a trade.
True, Alexander’s contractual status might make things difficult, and the team would be looking at a salary dump as the only significant bonus.
Given San Francisco’s cap situation, however, that would be a win in of itself.