3 players 49ers may dangle on trade block in 2021
By Peter Panacy
It’s unclear whether or not the 49ers look to move any assets this season, but these three players could end up on the trade block anyway.
The San Francisco 49ers may not be in a position where they can afford to part ways with too many excess players who no longer fit in the long-term scheme of things in 2021 and beyond. If anything, all the injury attrition suffered last year is proof that stockpiling quality depth is almost as necessary as having a roster comprised of top-performing starters.
That said, general manager John Lynch has never been shy about trading openly on the market, whether it’s involved moving up or down in the NFL Draft, acquiring players from other teams or even sending off Niners players in package deals elsewhere.
A point of note is San Francisco has seven draft picks in 2022 but none in Round 1 after moving up to No. 3 overall in this year’s draft. So there could be ample reason right there to stockpile some mid- or late-round picks next year to at least onboard some new talent.
With so many current players on the 49ers offseason roster back on one-year deals, it might make sense to start guarding against some additional free-agent attrition in 2022 by increasing draft capital.
As such, don’t be surprised if Lynch and the Niners end up putting a few players on the trade block between now and the NFL trade deadline, anticipated to be on Nov. 2 this year.
It’s not likely these three players are moved in the immediate future. But with San Francisco’s overall context likely to change in the coming months, don’t be surprised if Lynch makes a few calls to see if these three wind up garnering any interest on the open market.