The 49ers Might Not Make Another Big Move Before the Trade Deadline

Bold strategy.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a 6-1 start, the San Francisco 49ers enter their Week 8 bye looking to bolster their roster for a playoff run with Super Bowl 61 aspirations.

The 49ers went all in, trading a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for two-time All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

Fans and media have speculated that the 49ers will continue this aggressiveness and attempt to trade for New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson or Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack; yes, these players are game changers, but the 49ers can find answers within.

The 49ers' biggest concern is at wide receiver after a fast offensive start to the season stalled in the last couple of weeks due to injuries at the position.

Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, the wide receiver struggles boiled over, and a 49ers wide receiver didn’t have a single catch until the second half. The Niners were without Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson.

On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the three wide receivers will have a chance to return after the bye week, making it unnecessary to trade for Wilson, especially with recent developments from receiver Jordan Watkins. The 49ers will also get back first-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling, who will return at the end of the season.

Wilson’s four-year, $130 million contract kicks in next season, affecting the 49ers' future salary cap. This move would be the opposite of the 49ers' move to get Buckner on a one-year rental; it would be a long-term investment.

The 49ers have also been in trade speculation around Mack. This move would improve the defensive front but would also stunt the development of an already crowded unit.

The 49ers' current edge rushers are Keion White, Mykel Williams, Romello Height, and Nick Bosa, who has dealt with an injury this season, but Shanahan said Tuesday he has a chance to be back after the bye week.

The only justifiable reason the 49ers should trade for Mack or any other edge rusher is if there is still concern about Bosa’s injuries.

Another position that hasn’t been mentioned in trade speculation but should be reviewed in the bye week is cornerback. In the last two games without Upton Stout, the 49ers allowed 257 passing yards, up from their season average of 224.

Stout is expected to be back after the bye week, but his absence revealed a glaring hole at cornerback.

Ashtyn Davis and Jack Jones, whom the 49ers released to make roster space for Buckner, replaced Stout, and both struggled.

If another 49ers starting cornerback gets injured again, they will be in a similar spot as the last couple of weeks. Right now, the backups are rookie Ephesians Prysock, Davis and Nate Hobbs, who is currently on injured reserve with no designation.