49ers roster: 3 players team should trade away before Week 1

The 49ers could still engineer some trades prior to Week 1 of the 2021 regular season, and these three potential moves make some sense.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch wasn’t overly active on the trade market at the time his team was engineering all the moves necessary to cut the roster down to 53 players.

But one notable move, sending off depth linebacker Jonas Griffith to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a late-round NFL Draft pick swap and additional Round 6 selection.

This was quite the move from Lynch’s standpoint. Griffith, who performed well during the preseason, nevertheless wasn’t likely to make the Niners’ 53-man roster simply because there wasn’t enough room at the position.

By engineering the move, San Francisco got something for a player who probably didn’t fit into the team’s long-term plans, while also giving Griffith a bigger opportunity than he otherwise would have had with the 49ers this season.

Other than that, though, Lynch was quiet on the trade market. Yet there are potentially some opportunities where he could stockpile some additional draft picks, even if they’re of the late-round variety. This might be important, especially considering the relative lack of high-end picks the Niners will have over the next two years in the wake of trading up for quarterback Trey Lance.

Sure, it’s always tough to move on from players who ended up making the 53-man roster, and many players could contribute in a major way for the team this season.

Provided they get the chance.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt if Lynch explored trying to move these three players before Week 1 kicks off.