A year after losing in overtime of Super Bowl 58, the San Francisco 49ers did not even make it to the playoffs. Thanks to injuries aplenty and uninspiring performances throughout the roster, their season never got off the ground.
However, going into next season, there has to be some optimism, due to players being injury-free alone. But, for most people, standing pat isn’t the way to move. Instead, they believe some key trades up and down the roster are necessary for the 49ers to reach their earlier standards.
San Francisco 49ers Make Trades on Both Sides of the Football?
If the 49ers intend to be active on the trade market, they already have some momentum — Deebo Samuel officially asked for a trade from the team.
But even with the slew of injuries on offense (Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and Trent Williams missed multiple weeks to name a few), the team had a relatively solid offense, finishing as ninth on PFSN’s Offense+ metric. However, the real need lies on the defensive end. Injuries played a factor, but the unit finished as a bottom-10 unit per PFSN’s Defense+ metric.
As a result, some upgrades are critical for the 49ers, and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated believes multiple trades might be on the way. Given the position of the NFC West and the team itself, he believes the decision is almost an inevitability.
“The 49ers will make massive, league-altering trades on both sides of the ball this offseason en route to a Super Bowl run. San Francisco has 11 draft picks and just brought Saleh back into the fold as defensive coordinator.”
Pairing those two with some shrewd cap movement could be the way forward for Kyle Shanahan and his men. “The NFC West is as wide open as ever and there should be no reason to think this franchise will be complacent.
“During a down draft class at positions of need, I wonder if the 49ers see one last opportunity to structure Brock Purdy’s extension to give them one more dream team with their most critical aging core players on the way out.”
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As for who the 49ers might actually target, the two names at the top of everyone’s minds have to be Cooper Kupp and Myles Garrett. Both players have demanded or been told by the team that they are going to be moved. With both players fitting the exact profile, San Francisco needs, a trade for one or both of them might be in the cards.
Beyond those two, Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby are among the names that the team can consider. Crosby has long been linked to the franchise and his recent tweet added fuel to the speculation. Hendrickson has made it clear that he wants a trade if the Cincinnati Bengals don’t offer him a substantial contract extension.
With Tee Higgins also up for a contract renewal, there is at least a possibility that Hendrickson enters free agency. Speaking of Higgins, the 49ers could look to salary dump their receiving core and go after Higgins instead as a potential long-term option for Purdy to develop a rapport with.
An under-the-radar name to monitor will also be Azeez Olujari of the New York Giants. With the team firmly heading for a rebuild, the 49ers could incentivize them with a boatload of draft capital. There were some rumblings during the season of Olujari joining San Francisco, and this offseason, it could become a reality.
As Orr alludes to, Purdy is entering the final season of his contract before he receives a well-deserved extension. Currently making under a million, the last pick of the draft has a big payday coming his way in the near future.
However, the team might choose to wait a season and allow the superstar cast to run it back. Without their support, Purdy was still solid but he wasn’t the make-a-run-to-the-Super-Bowl caliber of quarterback, finishing with the worst passer rating of his career.
Some upgrades on defense, restructuring the offense around more productive guys, and San Francisco could be right back in the Super Bowl hunt.