The 49ers need help on the defensive line, and the trade deadline could hand them a cheaper answer than Vita Vea if Tampa Bay decides to sell.
One name to keep on the board is veteran A’Shawn Robinson. Bradley Locker of PFF pointed to Robinson as a strong fit for San Francisco and noted that he may be available if the Buccaneers move pieces.
“Robinson may not be the flashiest name on this list, but he’s likely to be dealt given his work on the ground, not to mention being a 2027 free agent,” wrote Locker.
The Buccaneers sit at 1-4, even after their Week 5 win over the Dallas Cowboys kept their season from sliding further. If they become sellers, Robinson looks like the kind of player who makes sense in a deal. He is entering his 11th NFL season, has 110 career starts, and brings a résumé that includes eight playoff games, a playoff run with the Carolina Panthers, and a Super Bowl title with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
From San Francisco’s side, the appeal is obvious: Robinson is on a one-year deal, so the 49ers could absorb his salary without much trouble. That also makes him easier to pry loose, especially compared with a bigger name like Vea. The source material pegs the cost at a late third-round pick.
That kind of move would be about steadiness, not sizzle. San Francisco does not need a headline-grabber as much as it needs someone who can hold up the middle and keep the rotation intact.
Osa Odighizuwa is already producing, but he is on pace for more snaps this season than in any previous year. Gracen Halton has flashed some burst into the backfield, yet the rookie has already left one game because of cramps and could be heading toward the rookie wall with the workload he is carrying.
Beyond that, the depth chart is thin, made up of practice squad call-ups and players added after the season began. Robinson would change that immediately. He could step in, start right away, absorb some of the blocks that are landing on Odighizuwa, and help keep Halton fresher over the long haul.
If the 49ers want to avoid paying up for Vea, Robinson looks like the clean, affordable alternative.
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