49ers rumors: Chase Young was nearly traded to this AFC team, not Niners

As rumor has it, the 49ers weren't the only team seriously in on former Commanders pass-rusher Chase Young.

Most players on any team's trade block are going to have multiple parties interested in a potential trade. After all, that's what the trading team wants: a bidding war.

In the art of trade negotiations, it still seems as if the San Francisco 49ers engineered an absolute steal from the Washington Commanders by sending a mere third-round compensatory selection in the 2024 NFL Draft in exchange for prolific (but oft-injured) pass-rusher Chase Young at the trade deadline last month.

The best part? If Young, a free agent to be this offseason, ultimately decides to leave and sign elsewhere in 2024, the Niners will get another comp pick back in return, probably a third-round pick, meaning the trade simply involved delaying the receipt of that draft pick by a year. Little else.

For the Commanders, it might seem like a fleece job. But, with their season going nowhere fast and minus plans to re-sign or extend Young, getting at least something in exchange for the former No. 2 overall pick has to be a win for them, too.

However, San Francisco wasn't the only team involved in trade talks.

Ravens nearly stole Chase Young away from 49ers at NFL trade deadline

According to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec (h/t FanSided's Christopher Kline), the Baltimore Ravens were also in hot pursuit of Young right before the trade deadline.

The report states that Baltimore couldn't "push it over the line" with regard to engineering a deal with Washington for Young, but given that it took the 49ers a mere third-round comp pick to make the deal go through, one can fairly wonder what the Ravens were offering in the first place.

Perhaps, given the fact that Young missed the better part of his previous two seasons because of injury, Baltimore wasn't willing to offer anything more than a day-three draft pick.

Related story: John Lynch details timeline of Chase Young trade

It's also possible the Commanders' general manager, Martin Mayhew, felt obliged to do business with his former employer, the Niners, rather than with Baltimore. But Mayhew would have to confirm that.

Regardless, San Francisco can rest comfortably knowing the Ravens didn't do enough to secure Young's services via a deadline deal.

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