49ers just proved why they didn't buy at the trade deadline

That was terrible.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

There was a lot of debate about whether the San Francisco 49ers should have been buyers at the trade deadline. The team did add Keion White, but did not actually lose any real draft compensation in order to upgrade the current roster. While the criticism felt warranted at the time, a 42-26 loss to the Los Angeles Rams may have given fans the reality that the front office already saw. 

San Francisco 49ers prove they are not one player away

The 49ers got beaten in most phases of this game. This was not a team that was one piece away, and moving forward, it is hard to say that they could make a real run with one more piece. Without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, the entire defense looks like a shell of itself. 

Robert Saleh can scheme up a stop or two, but the talent is not good enough to beat any real competitive offense, which is what the 49ers will see in spades when the playoffs come. The 49ers are now 2-3 since the first time they beat the Rams, which is when they first started to see life without Bosa and Warner. This is how the team should be assessed, not at the 4-1 record that they started the season at. 

When you are talking about Bosa and Warner, you cannot legitimately find replacements for them, especially not during the middle of the season. Trey Hendrickson may have been the closest thing, but he was currently banged up, making matters more complicated. Even still, we have seen the Bengals' defense struggle with a healthy Hendrickson. Would the 49ers really hold the Rams to much less if they had him? Maybe they would 35-26 instead?

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Even if they added a pass rusher, the group would remain weak in the back end. Warner was a force due to his athletic nature, but also his leadership and instincts. He was able to get the defense set and make sure everyone was aligned. Warner also sniffed out plays before they got going. They cannot find that now. 

The offense is supposed to get healthy at some point, but both of their big-name wide receivers are no closer to returning today than they were when their injuries initially came up. The 49ers could have lost some draft capital, and maybe lose a bit of a closer game when the playoffs come. However, this roster is too far from being legitimate contenders, and that was on display in Week 10.