With the 2022 NFL trade deadline approaching, 49ers general manager John Lynch should go all out to trade away these four players.
It’s possible the 3-3 San Francisco 49ers act as buyers at the 2022 NFL trade deadline. Even if the Niners end up losing one or both of their two remaining games before the Nov. 1 deadline hits, the nature of a weakened NFC West suggests head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad will still be very much “in the race” despite whatever the record is to kickstart next month.
General manager John Lynch was already a buyer, even with San Francisco lacking a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft because of the 2021 move for quarterback Trey Lance, yet that didn’t stop Lynch from nabbing All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.
However, there are bargain-basement deals to be made, and it’s also possible Lynch decides to offload some of the excess talent at the deadline, too.
Sure most players the 49ers would look to trade aren’t going to command a flurry of draft picks in return. No multiple first-, second- and third-round picks in exchange to report here.
Still, the Niners once moved depth linebacker Jonas Griffith, who had no chance of making the 53-man roster in 2021, to the Denver Broncos for a day-three pick swap.
Perhaps Lynch has a few more moves like that up his sleeve. And if he does, they should include these four players.
49ers NFL trade deadline candidate No. 1: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Sticking with the linebacker theme here, it’s a bit tricky with starting backer Azeez Al-Shaair, as he’s dealing with an MCL sprain and would have to clear a physical in order to successfully be traded.
That said, it seems likely San Francisco will entertain moving on from him, especially in the wake of extending fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw earlier during the preseason.
Currently playing on his restricted free-agent tender, 2023 will mark the first year in which Al-Shaair is truly able to cash in on a lucrative contract, one which the 49ers probably won’t want to pay after committing to Greenlaw.
Along with Fred Warner, sustaining three high-level starting-caliber linebackers isn’t going to be possible forever, and the Niners may look to get at least something in return for Al-Shaair, should he wind up getting healthy in time for the trade deadline.
49ers NFL trade deadline candidate No. 2: TE Ross Dwelley
It’s pretty clear by now San Francisco values other options over tight end Ross Dwelley to support the All-Pro, George Kittle.
Last season, Dwelley lost out in the snap-count battle to second-year pro Charlie Woerner, and this season is showing similar results with Woerner amassing 122 through six weeks to Dwelley’s 60.
Tack on the hopeful return of veteran tight end Tyler Kroft, who’s been dealing with an injury for much of 2022, Dwelley has become something of an unneeded asset.
Pro Football Network recently suggested Dwelley as the No. 1 trade candidate the 49ers could move by the deadline, and it would make a good deal of sense.
Sure, the Niners wouldn’t get much in return for a player who hasn’t exactly hit the stat sheet very hard since 2020 in which he filled in for an injured Kittle over eight games.
But trying to trade Dwelley for even a sixth- or seventh-round pick would be better than releasing him outright.
49ers NFL trade deadline candidate No. 3: CB Ambry Thomas
Towards the end of the 2021 season, signs were pointing to then-rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas finally turning a page after San Francisco used a third-round pick on him during that year’s NFL Draft.
Thomas struggled early, of course. But his finish during the regular season was promising.
However, six games into 2022, it appears as if he’s been surpassed by fellow depth corners like Deommodore Lenoir and even the inevitable Dontae Johnson, and some may have even been surprised Thomas made the 53-man roster anyway.
Read More: 2022 NFL trade deadline: Everything 49ers fans must know
Johnson typically bounces back and forth from the practice squad, but the fact the 49ers seem to trust him more than Thomas is telling.
Thomas has played precisely eight defensive snaps this season, yet the Niners can still hope to bank on his relatively high draft status and sell while they can, especially if they trust others like Lenoir and Johnson to shore up the depth chart.
49ers NFL trade deadline candidate No. 4: EDGE Kemoko Turay
Again, it’s going to be tough for San Francisco to move depth pieces with the hope of getting something even modest in return.
But it doesn’t mean John Lynch should avoid trying.
One of the 49ers’ offseason pickups, EDGE Kemoko Turay, has been a non-factor for the team despite his coming off a 2021 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts in which he recorded a career-best 5.5 sacks a year ago.
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Yet the Niners have hardly fielded Turay, as he’s seen just 42 defensive snaps on the season. And while having too many pass-rushers is usually a good idea, especially with injuries always a risk elsewhere on the roster, one would figure San Francisco first turns to other reserve pass-rushers like Charles Omenihu, Kerry Hyder or the rookie, Drake Jackson, to supplement the depth behind standouts like EDGE Nick Bosa.
Simply put, Turay is an excess commodity right now, and the 49ers should look to sell high on what Turay did a year ago while also stressing their desire to move him simply because the position is so deep.
The 2022 NFL trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1.