5 bargain deals SF 49ers can make before trade deadline
By Peter Panacy
The 4-4 SF 49ers are in limbo heading towards the 2020 NFL trade deadline, but these five bargain deals might be worth exploring.
The SF 49ers‘ ugly, disjointed 37-27 Week 8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks essentially ended head coach Kyle Shanahan’s bid to repeat as NFC West champions. If not that, injuries to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) and tight end George Kittle (foot) all but thwart the hope of San Francisco bouncing back.
But with an extra playoff berth per conference, the thought the Niners are completely out of the playoff picture is still quite premature.
There is, however, a very pressing matter to consider: the 2020 NFL trade deadline, which hits on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Pressed up against the salary cap with just under $2 million in space, and not exactly boasting a ton of cap room in 2021, it’s not likely general manager John Lynch and Co. engineer one of those blockbuster-type moves, such as last year’s deal for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the Denver Broncos. True, the Niners cleared some space by moving linebacker Kwon Alexander to the New Orleans Saints. But that doesn’t open up a ton of room.
It’s possible, though, Lynch and the front office look more at some under-the-radar moves that are more of the bargain-basement variety. San Francisco currently has five day-three NFL Draft picks in 2021, and the uncertainty of next year’s draft class amid the global pandemic and its ramifications could mean those picks aren’t quite as coveted.
Still, teams are always listening.
Lynch, too, should be listening to the idea of these five low-end deals that could potentially be pulled off just before the deadline hits.
When taking all possible trades into account, Niner Noise kept in mind the roughly $1.5 million in cap space the team currently has, as well as future space provided by Over the Cap.