49ers roster: 4 dark-horse trade candidates entering 2022 offseason
By Peter Panacy
49ers dark-horse trade candidate No. 3: Defensive tackle Arik Armstead
Again, this isn’t a list of probable trade candidates. It’s the list of ones that feasibly could be made but would ultimately be shockers if they happened.
The Niners’ 2021 defense turned a page when coordinator DeMeco Ryans moved defensive end Arik Armstead inside midway through the year, helping cut down on the gashing interior runs San Francisco allowed early on.
Plus, Armstead regularly ate up multiple offensive linemen, allowing edge rushers like Nick Bosa, Arden Key and Samson Ebukam to have more favorable one-on-one matchups on the outside.
It worked. And while Armstead statistically didn’t have a Pro Bowl-caliber year, registering six sacks and seven tackles for a loss, his impact in the non-stat areas of the field can’t be measured.
So, why trade him?
It’d be a gamble. But if the 49ers felt two-year pro defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw could make that massive leap in 2022 after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, moving Armstead would help clear up a logjam along the defensive line, too.
Should the Niners wait until after June 1, trading Armstead would also free up $15 million in cap space against $5 million in dead money for the upcoming season.
Again, not likely this happens. But there’s room to make it so.