SF 49ers: 5 bold trades to help free up cap space in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers trade Dee Ford to Jaguars
This is almost too perfect.
After appearing on just 22 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2019 and seeing just one total game in 2020, EDGE Dee Ford is beginning to go down as one of the worst trade acquisitions of the John Lynch era.
Especially considering the five-year, $85 million extension he received after being traded to San Francisco.
Ford will command 11 percent of the SF 49ers’ salary cap in 2021 if retained, and his back injury could also complicate matters in terms of any offseason move. Needless to say, getting him healthy and cleared is a crucial step for the Niners medical team.
If traded before June 1, San Francisco would still eat over $14 million in dead money with just $5.7 million in cap savings. But if the SF 49ers can somehow wait until after that date, $15.3 million in cap space would be generated with only $4.8 million in dead money. That’ll be the target date.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars no longer boast the “Sacksonville” moniker they enjoyed only a few years ago. With a league-high $77.5 million in cap space, they can afford to be bold on the open market, even if it means sending off a mid- or late-round pick for Ford’s services. After all, much like Kwon Alexander, this move would be more about taking on that contract, not the Niners getting proper compensation in return.
Of note, former San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke is now holding the same role in Jacksonville.
And SF 49ers fans need no reminders of Baalke’s affiliation with landing oft-injured players. Perfect, right?