The regular season has officially begun, as the San Francisco 49ers have reduced their roster down to the standard 53 players. Among the cuts was a player GM John Lynch just traded for. That in and of itself will raise some eyebrows. But it gets even stranger when taking into account who Lynch sent away.
On August 23rd, the 49ers traded running back Zamir White to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for veteran linebacker Deion Jones. Jones had played for current defensive coordinator Raheem Morris before, so the trade seemed to carry some significance at first glance. That is, until Sunday, when both players got cut.
The trade was a puzzling one from the start. The 49ers were dealing with numerous injuries at running back and were seemingly loaded at linebacker. The swap only furthered the imbalance between the two rooms.
49ers trade inconvenienced everyone involved
Sunday's fallout from the trade squashed any hopes of the 49ers' coordinator utilizing his former defender. Morris has already done wonders for the team's defense, and one would think he would benefit from having a familiar veteran around.
Now, however, Jones is left looking for a new home - as is Zamir White.
The trade was clearly a player-swap between two teams who were done with their respective guy. Both the 49ers and Saints figured it might be worth seeing what the other man had in the tank. Obviously, both fliers failed to pan out.
49ers poor allocation of time could wind up costing them
The 49ers didn't necessarily lose anything in the way of players or finances, but they lost another valuable asset: time. They could've used the time it took to iron out the trade details more productively. Left guard has been a need the entire preseason, yet the 49ers did nothing for most of August. Instead, they waited until Sunday to settle for the below-average Jarrett Patterson.
While cutting Deion Jones may not make the front pages, there is no denying that the 49ers don't need, and never needed, any more linebackers. Even before Tatum Bethune's strong play in the preseason, the position was deeper than almost any other on the roster.
Meanwhile, other areas on the field needed attention. The aforementioned left guard troubles, combined with mounting injuries in the wide receiver room, have the offense looking suspect at best. Not to mention George Kittle's status is still up in the air for Week 1.
Mykel Williams is starting on the PUP, and Nick Bosa is a question mark. The list goes on and on. But one thing is certain: off-ball linebacker has been the team's backbone all summer. If the Niners aren't careful, their bizarre obsession with stockpiling interior defenders might end up costing them in other areas of the field.
Add us as a preferred source on Google