The 49ers still have time to stir the pot before the season starts, and a few names on their roster make sense as possible trade pieces if San Francisco decides to listen.
The most obvious one is Mac Jones. A trade looked possible earlier in the offseason, but it never came together.
Maybe the market wasn’t strong. Maybe the price was too high.
Either way, Jones is still in San Francisco, and both sides seem comfortable with that for now. Jones has been open about how his time with the 49ers brought back his love for football, and after stepping in for an injured Brock Purdy last season, he’s shown some of his best form.
Still, quarterback-needy teams can pop up fast in this league. If an injury hits elsewhere and someone wants an experienced passer right away, the 49ers could find themselves in a strong spot to land a solid draft pick.
Moving Jones would carry real risk, especially with Purdy having dealt with numerous injuries in his career, but a strong enough return could change the conversation.
Renardo Green is another name worth watching. San Francisco has publicly denied any interest in dealing the cornerback, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation.
Green has flashed promise over his first two seasons, yet plenty of people still see him as the weak link in the 49ers’ starting corner group. Right now, the team appears committed to him, but that could change quickly if training camp or the preseason leaves the coaches wanting more.
If another team needs help at corner, the 49ers have options waiting in the wings. They drafted Ephesians Prysock and brought in veterans Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs, so replacing Green wouldn’t leave them empty-handed.
Ji’Ayir Brown also belongs on the list. There was trade talk around him last season, especially when it looked like he might end up in a bench role.
By the end of the year, he had fought his way back into the starting picture, but this offseason has brought another layer of uncertainty after his back-and-forth with Donte Whitner. Safety still looks unsettled for San Francisco, with Malik Mustapha the only player who seems locked in as a starter.
The other safety job is wide open, and if the 49ers come away impressed by Marques Sigle and Ashtyn Davis, Brown could become the odd man out.
None of these deals appears close right now, but if John Lynch keeps checking the market and a team comes calling with the right offer, the 49ers have a few pieces that could move before kickoff.
In Other News...
The 5 Most Underappreciated 49ers Of The Shanahan Era
Kyle Shanahans run in San Francisco has produced plenty of familiar stars, but the conversation around the 49ers often leaves out the players who made the whole thing work a little smoother. Emmanuel Sanders helped steady a young receiving group, Matt Breida gave the backfield burst and intrigue, Arik Armstead spent years taking on the kind of interior work that rarely shows up in highlight packages, and Dre Greenlaw became one of the defenses defining presence in the middle of the field.
Kyle Juszczyk sits in that same conversation for a different reason. His role has never been easy to pin down with basic numbers, which is part of why he can be overlooked even after nine seasons of being so useful in so many ways, and the case for him only gets stronger when the 49ers are being measured against the NFLs best teams. The broader point in ranking the most underappreciated players of the Shanahan era is that San Franciscos success has been built not just on headliners, but on a handful of trusted pieces whose value becomes obvious only when they are missing. [Read more 🡒]
John Lynch May Still Have One More 49ers Upgrade In Mind
With the offseason still offering a chance to nudge the roster in the right direction, John Lynch is again being linked to the kind of trade market the 49ers have not been shy about exploring. The speculation is straightforward enough: San Francisco has needs to weigh, and the front office has long shown a willingness to scan around the league for help if the price and fit make sense.
Among the names floated are a possible addition at safety and another option at running back, along with a more ambitious pass-rush swing that would be harder to pull off. For a team that has spent years trying to keep its window open, the interesting part is not whether Lynch will look, but how far he is willing to go to land one more upgrade before next season gets here. [Read more 🡒]