The San Francisco 49ers' 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders was a welcome return to form after the bye week, although it wasn't all plain sailing. The third quarter, in particular, was a bizarre mix of poor play and turnovers that made the final score seem a little flattering. Then, there was the small matter of defenders Renardo Green and Gracen Halton leaving the field with injuries, with Halton's being a season-ender.
Hmm.
In some ways, it ended up feeling like a bit of a downer. But there's a really nice way John Lynch and Co. can seize back the momentum this week: a big-time trade.
And that's what the 49ers should do. But for whom?
Win over Raiders should prompt 49ers to make trade
Whom? The answer is, "I'm not sure." You could probably make a case for any need position on the roster, quite honestly. Wide receiver remains in flux, especially since Christian Kirk's Niners tenure ended with his placing on injured reserve, the defensive line could use a shot in both the pass rush and the interior, especially with the season-ending injury to Gracen Halton, and you could even make a case for defensive back, with things looking thin behind a banged-up Deommodore Lenoir and Green.
But one thing's for sure, the 49ers do need something.
Depending on the prognosis for Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans, I'd be inclined to rule out a wide receiver. Not so much because I don't think San Francisco needs a shot in the arm there, but more because it seems to take receivers time to learn the Kyle Shanahan offense, and even longer to gain chemistry with Brock Purdy. You only have to look at the struggles guys like Brandin Cooks and Jacob Cowing have had to be impactful in the offense to see that.
Plus, you've got the signs of something developing with Jordan Watkins, Demarcus Robinson is back (whom Purdy seems to enjoy throwing to), and you've still got De'Zhaun Stribling to hopefully round things out as well. It just doesn't feel a priority at this point.
49ers could use another defensive impact player
Instead, I'd be looking at adding something on defense.
Despite the return of Nick Bosa and the hype around the return of DeForest Buckner, San Francisco's defensive line largely looked anemic again on Sunday, and it's continued a worrying pattern through the last two and a half games. Since the teams switched sides against the Washington Commanders in Week 6 on Monday Night Football, the 49ers defense seems to have become passive and slightly more vanilla.
Some will point to Sundays' turnovers as a sign I'm wrong, and that's fine. But consider the fact at least two of those turnovers came immediately after a scoring play was ruled out (in the case of the offensive pass interference call leading to Green's interception), or as a player was going into the end zone, as with Upton Stout's punchout on Brock Bowers.
These were fine plays, but it obscured a reality that the game (and momentum) could've been much closer and more troublesome for San Francisco.
Perhaps the 49ers could add some punch in the pass-rush game, like Khalil Mack, or a player on the interior, like Vita Vea. It feels like the Niners need a star outside of Fred Warner to emerge on defense to truly force multiply their season. Bosa didn't look like that on Sunday. So perhaps a shot of newness is in order.
They should also consider adding an impactful corner or safety, in my view. Lenoir and Green have played well this season, and I love Stout. But the depth is horrendous, and any injury to Stout or Lenoir seems to put the defense at an immediate disadvantage. The 49ers may feel like there's an in-house solution in activating Nate Hobbs from IR, but it feels like a gamble on a player coming back from such a long injury.
As for safety, well, it's fair to say the Niners still don't have a genuine, bona fide talent there. The trio of Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown bring something to the table, but none of them bring a well-rounded game, and often become targets of opposing offenses. Sigle might be the closest to being what the roster needs, but he's not there yet. If the 49ers could find a difference-maker there, the back end of their defense suddenly looks a lot better, too.
Some of these wouldn't be blockbusters; I doubt a depth corner or a starting safety (unless it was someone or something insane like Kyle Hamilton) would move the national news needle. But it would give the team a vital shot in the arm. And I've been skeptical of the need to chase big trades this season, but having watched how this team goes to sleep at times, I'm back on board.
Pull the trigger, Mr. Lynch. There's enough here to win a title. Imagine if you made one (or two) big moves that gave the Niners a needed push down the stretch.
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