Why the 49ers Should Trade Nick Bosa

Nick Bosa has many wonderful traits.

He might be the strongest edge rusher in the NFL. Plus he's polished. His technique is impeccable. He plays through the whistle, and he's good against the run and pass.

But he's not durable. And durability is trait. In fact, it's the most important trait, because all the other ones don't matter if a player can't stay healthy while playing football. That's why coaches say the greatest ability is availability.

Bosa missed his final season in high school after tearing his ACL. Then he missed his final season at Ohio State after tearing a core muscle. Then he missed this past season after tearing his other ACL.

Bosa might return next season and play all 16 games and never suffer another serious injury again. Or, he might return next season and be a shell of what he was before his second ACL tear. The 49ers might have to keep him on a pitch count, so to speak. Plus he might get injured again. That's his pattern.

If the 49ers keep Bosa, they're betting on him to stay healthy. I don't like those odds.

I'm betting that Bosa will continue to miss lots of time. So I'd trade him now if I were the San Francisco 49ers. I'd trade him before he suffers another injury and his value drops.

I'd trade him to the New York Jets for the No. 2 pick, because Jets head coach Robert Saleh loves Bosa, and Bosa was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft. So the 49ers essentially would get back what they spent on Bosa.

And then the 49ers could trade down and turn Bosa into multiple picks. They could trade down from the No. 2 pick to the No. 4 pick, and then use the picks they acquired in that deal to trade up from the No. 12 pick to the No. 5 pick. Meaning the 49ers could turn one injury-prone Bosa into two top-five picks.

Sign me up.