49ers included among teams linked to Chase Young trade rumors

The Commanders are rumored to be shopping Chase Young, and the 49ers have popped up as a possible trade partner.

Way back in 2020, Niner Noise discussed how now-Washington Commanders edge Chase Young might actually have a higher ceiling than the San Francisco 49ers own edge from Ohio State, Nick Bosa, who was drafted a year earlier.

In the wake of the 2022 season, it appears as if Young never reached that ceiling. Bosa is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, while Young's fifth-year option with Washington isn't going to be picked up. Granted, injuries have gotten in the way of Young being the prolific player many thought he'd be.

But, it's safe to say his career has been somewhat disappointing so far outside of his 2020 Pro Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

The Commanders aren't going to be picking up Young's fifth-year option, and that's led to speculation he could be traded this offseason, as Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer pointed out last week.

So, where do the Niners fit into all of this?

Chase Young trade rumors: CBS Sports pegs 49ers as possible partner

If Washington is interested in moving Young, a number of teams would certainly be interested, essentially banking on his dwindling upside and looking at the last two years as bad-luck anomalies.

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin compiled a list of teams that might want to engage in trade talks with the Commanders about Young, and that's where San Francisco entered the chat:

"Nick Bosa is about to command lucrative money as the headliner of their pass rushing group, and they just paid a fortune for Javon Hargrave to join the interior, but after losing both Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu in free agency, they could stand to add depth off the edge. San Francisco relies so much on its "D" while sticking to the ground on offense, so John Lynch might be willing to bet on the long-term upside."

Benjamin also listed the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears as potentially being interested.

Would 49ers want to trade for Chase Young?

The 49ers aren't afraid to execute blockbuster trades, and they also aren't afraid to move top-end NFL Draft capital either.

Young, who only just turned 24 years old, might not command much by the way of draft compensation. Perhaps only a mid-round pick would get a deal done. And, with the way the Niners seemingly bring in third-round compensatory picks on an annual basis, perhaps that's enough to convince Washington general manager Martin Mayhew, a former San Francisco staffer, to pull the trigger.

As far as compensation is concerned, the 49ers have just over $10.6 million in salary cap space, currently, according to Over the Cap.

Meanwhile, Young is set to earn a shade under $11 million, but a team trading for him would be picking up only $5.32 million of that tab.

Read more: 5 underrated moves Niners made this offseason

The Niners can make that work.

Plus, as Benjamin pointed out, San Francisco lacks a clear No. 2 edge presence behind Bosa. Unless second-year pro Drake Jackson takes a massive leap after falling short late last year, or castoff players such as Clelin Ferrell or Austin Bryant make a dent, it'll be Bosa and little else off the edges.

So, as far as big-name pickups are concerned on the rumor mill, this is one that actually makes a lot of sense for the 49ers.

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