The San Francisco 49ers are 6-1 and heading into their bye, but not all is perfect in the Bay. Numerous veterans have been hampered by injury, and general manager John Lynch will likely need to look for reinforcements before the November deadline.
Unfortunately, one of those trade targets is officially off the market, as the Colts just traded guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson would've been able to fit in seamlessly with San Francisco's stout offensive front, and he would've filled arguably the only hole at left guard.
Not only did the 49ers lose out on the bruiser, but they will now have to compete in the same division as him, as he was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks.
The red and gold have been completely stagnant on the trade market thus far, and it appears they are beginning to miss out on stars. Nelson was one of the first dominoes to fall, but there are rumored to be many more over the coming weeks. One can only hope the Niners are working on deals behind closed doors.
Quenton Nelson will help Seahawks neutralize one of 49ers' biggest advantages
The 49ers defeated the Seahawks in Week 5 in what turned out to be a 60-minute slugfest. Amid costly turnovers from both sides, the visiting Niners had one clear advantage throughout the game: their pass rush.
They sacked QB Sam Darnold five times while delivering eight total QB hits, an impressive feat considering they were missing star edge rusher Nick Bosa.
Quenton Nelson will surely serve as a deterrent against the pass rush next time around. Given that Sam Darnold is significantly more effective with a clean pocket, fans could see a completely different Seahawks offense when they travel to Santa Clara in Week 12.
Seattle is second in the division and just gained a game on the 49ers with their impressive win against the Chiefs and the Niners' loss to the Falcons. They're now 4-3 with an improved O-line, and they have allowed just 20 combined points over the past two games since losing to their division rival.
With their division rivals trending upward, the 49ers must not get too comfortable. If Lynch sits on his hands through the deadline, he could cost his team a chance at making a deep postseason run. Trade inactivity will certainly prove costly when the rest of the division is clearly making moves to elevate themselves in the NFC playoff picture.
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