4 low-cost trades that could greatly help 49ers 2021 roster

49ers Trade Target No. 1: CB Cameron Dantzler, Vikings

Acquiring Stephon Gilmore might not be the simplest or cheapest way for the 49ers to account for cornerback Jason Verrett’s season-ending ACL tear. And while the Niners inked veteran corners Josh Norman and Dre Kirkpatrick, going younger would help alleviate some of the long-term question marks John Lynch and Co. should be facing at this position.

Speaking of questions, it’s certainly questionable how Minnesota Vikings second-year cornerback Cameron Dantzler went from a 2020 Pro Football Focus All-Rookie team member to being in head coach Mike Zimmer’s doghouse, inactive in Week 1 before seeing just 16 defensive snaps in Week 2.

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The former third-round pick out of Mississippi State doesn’t appear to be factoring into Zimmer’s immediate plans anytime soon, and The Athletic’s David Lombardi also reported San Francisco inquired about Dantzler’s availability via trade.

Whatever the result of those talks was, it would still be wise for the 49ers to continue pushing, perhaps upping the offer price to include their own third-round pick for 2022 (the Niners’ Round 3 compensatory selection was shipped off in the Trey Lance package).

That way, the Vikings would recoup their original investment, while Dantzler would get a much-needed change of scenery.

San Francisco, meanwhile, would address a need it had for the past few years, finding a multitude of young cornerbacks on cheap rookie deals.

The 2021 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 2.