The San Francisco 49ers traded transactional blows with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday, but the NFC arms race is far from over. That fact was emphasized by the Bears' trade on Thursday for defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
Chicago traded two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder, arguably overpaying for the Pro Bowler given that the 49ers just traded a fourth-round pick for their own defensive tackle. That being said, the discrepancy between deals highlights an unfortunate truth about the 49ers. The Bears gave up too much in draft capital... because they could.
The two NFC competitors are clear Super Bowl contenders, but the difference in roster construction is obvious.
Core players on Chicago, such as Caleb Williams, Luther Burden II, Rome Odunze, and Colston Loveland, are all under 25. Even the newly acquired Simmons is still in his prime at 29.
The 49ers' core looks ancient by comparison. Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle are all on the wrong side of 30. Because of this, San Francisco can't be as frivolous with their draft capital. Chicago can lose a future first-rounder or two and still compete for years to come. The red and gold may not have that luxury.
Bears youth allows them to be more aggressive than 49ers at deadline
Both teams are expected to continue looking for ways to improve in a heated NFC race. The Niners in particular still have a major need at wide receiver. However, given their aging roster, it's difficult to see them unloading too many picks to capitalize on their hot start.
Quarterback Brock Purdy is still 26 and has most of his career ahead of him, but much of his offensive arsenal does not share the same circumstance. Rookie De'Zhaun Stribling waits in the wings as a future contributor, but San Francisco will need to continue backfilling their veterans as they begin to drop off.
Teams like Chicago and Seattle are putting pressure on the Niners to hold onto their superior record, and there is still a week and a half to go before the November 10th trade deadline. Anything could happen. Unfortunately, other teams are simply better positioned than the 49ers to continue adding pieces.
What they currently have on their roster might just be what they roll into January with, and fans will have to be content with that. Barring a small move here or there, Purdy and company look to maintain a stranglehold on the NFC West and head into the postseason with some momentum.
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