49ers linked to veteran linebacker after Fred Warner goes down

The trade deadline is three weeks away.

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The San Francisco 49ers were stunned by the injury to Fred Warner, and now their trade deadline plans may be changing.

While they may shift from buyers to staying pat, the injury may also just cause them to buy more. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report expects that to be the case and linked them to linebacker Cody Barton in his latest trade big board. 

Will the San Francisco 49ers trade for linebacker Cody Barton?

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You would assume the 49ers' first priority remains fixing the pass rush, but if they can add a linebacker for the right cost, they would have to do it. Cody Barton would make a lot of sense if that were the case. 

Barton, who now has 49 starts on his resume, signed a three-year deal in free agency. However, he'll turn 29 in November and might be more valuable to the Titans in the long term as a trade chip.

Tennessee could expect a reasonable return for Barton, who has logged 38 tackles and two passes defended this season. Teams in need of linebacker help—because of injuries or poor play—should have his name circled.

Kristopher Knox

Barton has been in the NFL for seven years and has been a full-time starter for four seasons. He has been on the Seahawks, Commanders, Broncos, and Titans, so he has been able to shift schemes quite often. 

Even more impressive than that is that he has been able to wear the green dot at each location. That means that he is the one relaying the plays from the sideline to his teammates, and he is the one charged with communicating shifts and making sure they are aligned pre-snap. This is a big role and he has handled it well. 

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On the field, they can use Tatum Bethune, who looks like he can stop the run with his hair on fire. They can go to three safety looks more often if they want to add some coverage help. However, they cannot replace the communication and understanding that comes from the experience that Warner had. At the very least, Barton could help cut into that loss. 

The two big stick-ups come to the draft cost and the contract. Barton would fetch a fourth-round pick, according to Knox. That is not a lot, but the 49ers need their draft capital. A sixth would make it a no-brainer, but do the Titans get enough back in that deal?

More than that, Barton is signed for the next two seasons. The cap hit is not bad, but Warner should be back next season, and they do not want to have an extra $8M invested in linebacker. There is a world where the Warner injury is so severe that the team feels he may miss time into next season. If that is the case, this trade makes even more sense. If they feel Warner will be back in time, they have to figure out a way to unload Barton this offseason. That would get tricky, making this trade less likely.