Fred Warner's injury may have changed the 49ers' trade deadline stance

Will they still be aggressive?

NFL San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly been active in the edge rusher market.

Dianna Russini reported she expects them to call the Cincinnati Bengals to see if Trey Hendrickson is available, and Ian Rapaport mentioned Bradley Chubb, Kingsley Enagbare, and Arden Key as options. However, all of that was before the 49ers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and lost Fred Warner for the season. Did the latest news impact the 49ers' chances to be buyers?

Will San Francisco 49ers remain buyers at the trade deadline?

The answer is likely yes. San Francisco was already going to be on the line when it came to buying, and if they did, it may have been a cheap rental like Key. That is because their salary cap is about to take on some big contracts, and they are looking to invest heavily in rookie salaries to offset this. Trading away picks means a cost-controlled player in the future is gone.

Still, if San Francisco were in first place in the NFC and felt that they were one piece away, the decision obviously could be expected. Losing hurt their chances of buying, but that was never going to be an easy game to win, and they still sit in first place in their division. The issue is losing Fred Warner.

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Tatum Bethune came in for Warner, and it is hard to think of a bigger potential drop-off, at least in terms of NFL status. So, the 49ers now have two needs, and they are rather significant. Taking one big swing at Hendrickson may be a lost cause if the middle of their defense starts to give up easy targets in the quick passing game. 

They could try to look outside the roster for a linebacker, but that is going to cost something as well, especially if they want a real playmaker at the position. So, if they did add a linebacker, they would either still be thin on the defensive line or they would start to lose a significant amount of assets. 

The 49ers are in a very tricky spot because their record says to go for it, and the NFC is wide open this year. The other side of the coin says that this group may have an expiration date, and giving up on the future to go all-in on a team that is good, but maybe not great, is a questionable decision. 

John Lynch will have to maneuver this with savvy decision-making.