Will the 49ers Trade for Buccaneers Cornerback Jamel Dean?

The 49ers need another cornerback.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The 49ers need another cornerback.

Charvarius Ward is gone -- he signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. In addition, Deommodore Lenoir got arrested earlier this week, and it's unclear if he will face a suspension. He might not, but you never know.

After Lenoir, the 49ers have Renardo Green, who started seven games in his first season las year, Tre Brown, who has started 13 games in four seasons, and Upton Stout, who's a rookie.

Which means cornerback might be the thinnest position group on the 49ers. So why not trade for a veteran cornerback such as the Buccaneers' Jamel Dean, who could be available in a trade, according to CBS Sports?

"Dean's six-year run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers includes a Super Bowl title and big-money extension, but the veteran has been frequently mentioned as a potential cut or trade candidate due to a $15 million 2025 cap hit, almost all of which the Bucs could clear from their books by dealing Dean elsewhere," writes CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin.

Dean is 28, so he's still in his prime. And he has been a consistently good cornerback for the past few years -- he simply hasn't played behind a good front-seven recently. That would change on the 49ers.

His base salary for 2025 is a reasonable $12.5 million, he has no guaranteed money left on his contract and it expires after 2026. Best of all, the 49ers actually can afford him because they have more than $46 million in salary cap space.

If they want to spend it and give themselves the best chance to win a Super Bowl this year, they'll trade for Dean.