49ers should ‘kick tires’ on these 4 players by NFL trade deadline
By Peter Panacy
49ers Trade Target No. 2: EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Raiders
The Niners already paid the price for not developing now-Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Solomon Thomas properly over the previous four years, and now Thomas is finally hitting a groove in his new digs with Las Vegas.
In contrast, the Raiders failed to develop two of their own pass-rushers, now-San Francisco EDGE Arden Key and their former first-round pick, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, who has been nothing short of a disappointment since being selected No. 4 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
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Ferrell has seen just 19 percent of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps this season. And with all the tumult in the aftermath of head coach Jon Gruden’s departure, it’s highly possible Las Vegas looks to move on from the former Clemson star in an attempt to refocus the defense on its future needs.
True, Ferrell has just 6.5 sacks over his two-plus years at the pro level, and he’ll likely never regain the potential and prowess that made him such a lofty prospect not long ago.
Still, the 49ers helped turn Key into a serviceable reserve pass-rusher after he flamed out with the Raiders, and Ferrell is also another supplementary-type player who can help bolster the pass rush.
Especially considering the Niners haven’t received any kind of lofty reserve pass-rushing prowess from depth EDGE Samson Ebukam to date.
It’s a low-risk kind of move.