A team like the 49ers could be willing to trade before the NFL trade deadline. They added defensive end Randy Gregory from the Broncos and look mostly flat on the roster.
Normally, a team like this would be a good candidate to move down at the deadline, especially considering how expensive the roster already is. With a league-high $39,962,048 in cap space and plenty of draft capital, San Francisco could be a player for just about any player on the market.
We took a look at some of the players potentially available and picked six that the 49ers should at least put the tires on before the Oct. 31 deadline:
Broncos OT Garrett Bolles
It’s clear that offensive line help is the 49ers’ biggest need. Unfortunately for them, it’s not easy to find quality offensive players on the trade market. However, Bolles could be a good fit if he can move to the right. He’s only been a left tackle since college, so switching sides might not even be an option.
Let’s assume for a moment that he can do it though.
That would give San Francisco an immediate upgrade against Trent Williams. Bolles is also under contract until 2024 and no longer guaranteed money for next season. With quality offensive tackles, his second cap hit of $20 million projected for 2024 wouldn’t be terrible, and it will take time before the development of Colton McKivitz or the 49ers find a better long-term option.
Vikings BY Danielle Hunter
Look, that’s not the only defensive end on the roster.
Trading Randy Gregory would likely put the 49ers out there for a player like Hunter, who is a free agent after this season. However, he was dominant in 2023 with 21 pressures and eight sacks, per Pro Football Focus. Adding him to an already potent offense would allow the 49ers to weather either an injury on the defensive front or injuries where Hunter would help bolster their defense enough to maintain a big offensive stride.
If the 49ers wanted to nab Hunter, they probably would have now, but it’s worth watching if Gregorio or any of San Francisco’s other DEs struggle in the two weeks before the trade deadline.
Panthers BY Brian Burns
Burns seems more of a dream than Hunter. He is only 25 years old and could still be a piece the Panthers want to build around. Contract negotiations stalled a year ago do not inspire much confidence in his long-term future. It’s unlikely the 49ers can pay Burns to stay beyond 2023, but the 2019 16th overall pick could make an impact this year. He had 13 sacks and 68 pressures last season. He has 15 pressures and five sacks on a league-worst team this year. His length and athleticism would be a good fit on the edge of Kris Kocurek’s defensive line. Adding him would be a no-brainer, and San Francisco should at least see if Carolina makes an offer. Jets BY Carl Lawson
Okay, one last DE, we promise. The latter is perhaps also the most likely.
Lawson is in the final year of his contract and would cost the buyout team less than $2 million.
His 2023 campaign was a disaster. He has played in four of New York’s six games and has two pressures without a sack. This is a player who had a career-high eight sacks on 49 pressures last season. There’s talent there, and it’s easy to see the 49ers trying to pick him up as a trade project in exchange for a late-round pick. If that doesn’t work out, he’ll be a free agent in 2024 and the 49ers could move on.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry
Ok, the DE’s are all done! It is the narrow end time.
The next evolution of the 49ers offense is one with multiple TEs on the field. Think Kyle Juszczyk, but less downhill, blocking i-formations. It is clear that Ross Dwelly and Charlie Woerner cannot fulfill the role of receiving credible and consistent threats. Henry is only a good run blocker, but he is a much better receiver than any of the other San Francisco TEs and he is in the last year of his contract.
Maybe their plan is to release seventh-round pick Brayden Willis at some point, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Signing Henry from New England could be enough offensive help for them to maximize their already very versatile unit. This season, Henry has 183 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 catches, but has averaged 52 catches for 594 yards and five touchdowns over the past four years.
Bruins CB Jaylon Johnson
Isaiah Oliver has played well enough that the 49ers are probably comfortable with their secondary. However, depth is an issue. Samuel Womack is already on injured reserve and Ambry Thomas is struggling for playing time.
Johnson is in the final year of his rookie contract and would cost next to nothing against the cap. The Bruins’ 2020 second-round pick struggled out of the gate, allowing 11 touchdowns over his first two seasons. Last year, he allowed just one and had seven interceptions, per Pro Football Focus. He earned a career-high 80.9 coverage grade and a career-high 79.0 overall grade.
If San Francisco is willing to part with a mid- or late-round pick to bring Johnson into the building, it could bolster its starting lineup or depth at cornerback.
