49ers news: Biggest winners, losers from 2021 NFL trade deadline
By Peter Panacy
The 2021 NFL trade deadline is now in the rearview mirror, which leaves some clear 49ers winners and losers even though the Niners weren’t overly active.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday he wasn’t expecting general manager John Lynch to make some sort of blockbuster move at the 2021 NFL trade deadline.
Although both Shanahan and Lynch have long expressed to find ways to improve the roster at any point possible.
For the most part, the Niners were quiet. And this is often the norm for NFL squads in comparison to the other major American sports, where their respective trade deadlines are often littered with massive blockbuster deals to help propel championship-caliber teams over the edge.
There were, however, some notable moves leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, and a number of those impact San Francisco directly.
Including the 49ers’ transactions, non-transactions, as well as others around the league, let’s take a look at the Niners’ biggest winners and losers from this year’s NFL trade deadline.
49ers Winner: EDGE Charles Omenihu
While the Los Angeles Rams made one of their own splash moves at the deadline by picking up future Hall of Fame EDGE Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, San Francisco answered in kind by grabbing an edge rusher, too.
Former Houston Texans defensive end Charles Omenihu.
From a business sense, the 49ers won out. According to the trade report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Niners only had to send out a future late-round draft pick in exchange for the 24-year-old Omenihu, who is under contract through 2022 and has seven sacks with 24 quarterback hits over his three-year pro career.
A versatile pass-rusher who can help alleviate the loss of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to season-ending knee surgery, Omenihu figures to be part of a defensive line rotation and can play a number of spots. Yet the biggest reason why he’s a winner is due to him going from an unimpressive Houston D-line to one that features EDGEs Nick Bosa and Dee Ford.
Even if Omenihu remains a depth piece only, it’s a big-time win for him.