49ers Trade for DeForest Buckner Looks Even Better After Jeffery Simmons Trade

The 49ers just might know what they're doing when it comes to trades.

They got DeForest Buckner for a fourth-round pick. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears just traded two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Tennessee Titans for Jeffery Simmons and a fifth-round pick, according to reports.

Good gracious, that's a ton of draft capital to give up. To be fair, the Bears are going all-in, which is to be commended. And Simmons absolutely is a great player. He's a three-time All-Pro. But he's 29. His best days are not necessarily ahead of him. And he misses games every season.

There's a reason the Bears were interested in trading for Buckner before the 49ers got him -- he's cheaper than Simmons, and he's really good, too. Not as good as Simmons, and three years older than him, but still dominant. Still able to win one-on-one matchups. Still drawing double teams at a high rate.

The 49ers were able to land Buckner because they drafted him and presumably would be more open to extending his contract than the Bears would be. In Chicago, he'd be a one-year rental. Now, he might be able to finish his career where it started.

And the 49ers still can make another move, one as big as the Simmons trade if they want to, because they still have their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The Bears are out of picks, which means they're out of big moves. This is their team, for better or worse. And it certainly looks imposing on paper.

But the 49ers aren't done. They have roughly two weeks to pull off a blockbuster move of their own.

As of now, the Jets seem like an intriguing trade partner. They're not going to the playoffs this year and could be interested in selling certain players to load up on picks for 2027.

If wide receiver Garrett Wilson becomes available, which is no certainty, the 49ers just might trade their first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 for him. He's that good.

If the Jets want to hold onto their young franchise wide receiver, they could trade the 49ers Will McDonald IV instead. McDonald is a 27-year-old edge rusher who's signed through 2027. He would be an upgrade over Romello Height and Mykel Williams when it comes to rushing the quarterback, and he would give the 49ers insurance in case Nick Bosa doesn't make a full recover this season.

Stay tuned. The Bears might be done making big moves, but the 49ers probably aren't.

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