The San Francisco 49ers are acting like a team that knows exactly where it stands. They’ve already shown they’re willing to push chips in for a Super Bowl run this season, which is why they traded for DeForest Buckner. And if that move was the opening statement, it might not be the last one.
There’s another deal out there somewhere, at least in theory. The catch is that the most appealing options are also the least realistic. Still, if the 49ers are chasing one more swing, these are the three dream trades that would change the complexion of the roster.
The clearest fit is on the edge, especially with Nick Bosa having trouble staying healthy this season. That’s why Maxx Crosby keeps popping up as a possibility. He’s been connected to the 49ers since February, when Crosby initially wanted out of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Crosby even ended up with the Baltimore Ravens for a day before the Ravens backed out after he failed his physical. That episode knocked down his value, and it also makes this kind of deal feel messy.
If San Francisco wanted to get it done, a first-round pick should be enough. And with the 49ers needing a premier edge rusher to jump-start their pass rush, that price would be justified.
The production is there, even if the sack total doesn’t jump off the page. Crosby has only two sacks, but he’s still been the lone real threat on the Raiders’ defensive front. He’s also piled up 31 pressures, which would lead the 49ers.
The problem is that the Raiders probably aren’t interested in selling. Even if a move made sense, the fact that a Crosby trade already failed once before makes it harder to imagine them revisiting it.
Khalil Mack is another name that would make sense on paper, even if it sounds surprising to say with the Los Angeles Chargers sitting as the last winless team. If any club should be open for business, it’s them, and Mack is their best trade chip. A second-round pick could be enough to land him.
Mack has three sacks and 18 pressures, solid numbers considering the Chargers have been trailing so often that clean pass-rushing chances haven’t exactly been easy to come by.
Even so, the reason a Mack deal feels unlikely is that the Chargers haven’t fired offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. If they haven’t made that change, the idea goes, they may not be ready to start tearing anything apart just yet.
Maybe they’re going down with the ship, or maybe they simply aren’t ready to make moves. Either way, the 49ers may not be in position to wait around, and there have been no reports of their interest in trading anyone either.
That leaves the whole thing stuck in limbo.
Then there’s the move that’s everywhere online: Garrett Wilson to San Francisco. Fans and pundits keep pushing him toward the 49ers, and it’s easy to understand why.
The wide receiver room is in emergency mode because of injuries, and the biggest worry centers on Mike Evans. The question hanging over everything is whether he can get through the late part of the season with Achilles tendinitis.
That’s a brutal spot for a team trying to keep its footing. Evans has been crucial to the 49ers’ success and has been the MVP of the team. Bringing in Wilson would ease a lot of that pressure and help stabilize the offense.
But the dream stops there. There’s been no sign that the Jets are even considering moving him, and any talk of him going to San Francisco is just speculation.
A pipe dream. The fit is obvious, the upgrade would be massive, but the trade itself is not happening.
In Other News...
49ers Trade Could Already Be Bad News For Jordan Watkins
The 49ers move to bring DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco bolstered one side of the ball, but it also has a ripple effect elsewhere on the roster as the trade deadline approaches. For a team already trying to keep its offense balanced, any new addition can change the math, and that is where Jordan Watkins enters the conversation. The rookie receiver has been part of the mix, but his role is hardly locked in with the 49ers still navigating their passing-game plans.
San Francisco has been connected to more help at wide receiver, and that kind of talk always creates pressure on the players fighting for snaps. Watkins has flashed enough to stay in the picture, but if the 49ers do make another move for a pass catcher, the competition for playing time could get even tighter. For now, he remains one of the names to watch as the front office weighs how aggressive it wants to be before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face An Uncomfortable Mac Jones Reality As Deadline Nears
Mac Jones has become one of the quieter names in the trade chatter around the 49ers as the NFL deadline draws closer, and that silence says plenty. Despite the speculation that always follows a backup quarterback with a recognizable track record, no real market has developed for Jones, leaving San Francisco in the familiar position of carrying a passer whose value around the league has not matched the buzz around him.
With the deadline set for Nov. 10, the most realistic outcome now looks like Jones simply staying put and seeing out his contract in San Francisco. The one thing that could change the picture is a major injury to a playoff contenders starting quarterback, which would suddenly turn a backup into a far more urgent target, but until something like that happens, there is not much reason to expect movement. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face A Second-Half Decision These Fill-In Standouts Earned
The Week 8 bye should bring a familiar wave of reinforcements back to the 49ers, with key names like Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans expected to rejoin the lineup. But the break also handed San Francisco a reminder that some of its depth pieces have done more than merely hold the fort. Jordan Watkins has settled in at wide receiver, Kaelon Black has chipped in as a runner with a touchdown, and Gracen Halton has made his presence felt on defense when the 49ers needed answers.
For Kyle Shanahan, the tricky part now is figuring out how much of that production deserves to stick. Watkins has earned a bigger look after handling a heavy workload before the bye, while Black's burst gives the backfield another option worth keeping active. Halton, meanwhile, has turned momentum plays into real pressure, and with the starters coming back, San Francisco has a second-half rotation decision on its hands that could shape more than just the next game plan. [Read more 🡒]