The San Francisco 49ers did what many fans were clamoring for by bringing back DeForest Buckner, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. General manager John Lynch sent the Indianapolis Colts a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for Buckner, and he will help bolster an interior defensive line that could certainly use some help.
It’s a huge move and serves as a direct counter to the Seattle Seahawks acquiring Colts left guard Quentin Nelson. It shows the Niners mean business this season after their 6-1 start, but they should not be done after this move.
There are still other weaknesses to address, so Lynch should keep on working those phones and make two more moves happen ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Acquire Keenan Allen from Colts in exchange for a 7th-round pick
The Colts likely aren’t done selling after getting rid of Buckner and Nelson. At 2-5, they will likely be getting rid of all their pending free agents, and veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen seems like an obvious candidate to go.
He has 29 receptions for 258 yards and a touchdown this season. The 34-year-old receiver played his college football at Cal and spent all those years in Southern California with the Chargers, so a return to the West Coast to a team that he can help make a playoff run just makes a ton of sense.
The Niners clearly need more wide receiver depth, and adding Allen into the mix would do just that and could help guard against another Mike Evans injury.
Trade a 3rd-round pick to Chargers for Khalil Mack
The Niners beefed up the interior line by adding Buckner, but they could still use some help on the edge. The Los Angeles Chargers are having a dreadful season and should be selling assets soon, which means veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack should be up for grabs.
He has three sacks on the season and would give San Francisco more depth as it deals with Nick Bosa’s injury. Mack isn’t the dominant force he was earlier in his career, but he can still play and would give the defense a needed boost.
If the Niners were able to pull off these two moves, then Lynch will have knocked it out of the park and given San Francisco a good chance to go and make a deep playoff run.
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