Not every trade has to be for a power player. In that case, the 49ers would be protecting themselves against an injury at WR. But there must be a convulsion.
Shop or iron? That’s a question the 49ers have to ask themselves before the NFL trade deadline at the end of the month. San Francisco enters Week 7 with a bang, with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams listed on the injury report.
Every player has a chance to play on Monday night. Dre Greenlaw, who missed Week 6 with a hamstring injury, should also return to practice this week. Some have suggested the 49ers are looking at wide receiver Samuel’s shoulder and career injury history. Deebo missed practically the entire game against the Browns. He played against the Cardinals, but was a shell of himself and wasn’t on target the entire game.
Are the 49ers protecting themselves against another injury in their front office? Danny Gray is on injured reserve. Jauan Jennings already missed the game. Ray-Ray McCloud missed much of training camp with a broken wrist. And Brandon Aiyuk missed the game.
Not every commodity has to be for a superstar like Christian McCaffrey or an influencer like Emmanuel Sanders. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested the 49ers give up the third-day pick because of the depth lurking on the Jets’ depth chart:
Despite signing early in free agency in New York, the former shortstop apparently longs to return to K.C., where Andy Reid knows how to use him as a utility. But if we make the Chiefs play bigger (see above), what about San Francisco, where Deebo Samuel has been beat and Kyle Shanahan could just as easily use him to play devices?
Hardman, 25, has one reception for six yards this season. He has been up and down during his tenure as Chief. Getting a player’s “Gadget” weakens Deebo’s attack. But Hardman has game speed that players like Jennings or Ronnie Bell don’t have.
While Hardman has experience returning, McCloud is above average in that area. One reason Hardman Jr. getting even with a 7th round pick wouldn’t make a lot of sense for the 49ers given how much they rely on their receivers to block. Hardman is 5’10, 187 pounds.
The logic of getting a wide receiver on the cheap makes sense, but the 49ers are likely looking for a bigger body that can beat outside the numbers and block between tight ends. Hardman is not like that.
