Surprise 49ers deal among NFL trade deadline bold predictions

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Stephon Gilmore, Adam Thielen and Will Fuller are among the big names who will have new homes next week.

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As the calendar turns to November, the haves and have nots in the NFL are becoming more apparent.

With the NFL trade deadline Tuesday, contenders will be scrambling to pick up the missing pieces to their title runs while teams who have fallen out of the Super Bowl picture will be looking to sell off assets and regroup for next year.

There has been trade chatter surrounding a number of the league's stars, including Adam Thielen, Stephon Gilmore and Kenny Golladay.

While the Kansas City Chiefs remain the front-runner to repeat as Super Bowl champions, many teams are hot on their tail.

Teams like the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks might be one piece away, while the 49ers must weigh the cost of acquiring someone at the deadline against future cap issues.

It pays to be practical but that's not always fun. So let's make some bold predictions for the NFL trade deadline.

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Remember when the Packers drafted a third-string quarterback and a running back who doesn't see the field instead of getting Aaron Rodgers an actual weapon?

Well, it's time to rectify that mistake. The Packers are 5-1 and have been rolling everyone not named Tom Brady.

Davante Adams remains one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but the rest of the rotating cast of characters isn't cutting it. Fuller has had hamstring issues, but he's a burner who can stretch the field and help take some attention off Adams.

Get it done.

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If you've watched the Raiders this year, you know they still can't stop anybody. They can't get to the quarterback and they can't stop the run. The secondary also is suspect at best.

And, if you've seen the Jets this year then you know they are in need of many stiff drinks and a reset.

There have been whispers that the Jets are willing to trade Quinnen Williams, who the Raiders coveted atop the 2019 NFL Draft. Gruden calls up Joe Douglas, offers the Jets a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick for the 22-year-old who is coming into his own in Year 2 in the NFL.

The Raiders now have Williams and Clelin Ferrell, who they wanted to trade down to select in 2019 but ended up taking at No. 4 overall.

The addition of Williams makes the Raiders' line stronger for years to come.

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The Cardinals just stunned the Seahawks on "Sunday Night Football," moving to 5-2 and a half-game back of first place in the NFC West.

Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins and Co. are rolling, while the defense has been doing just enough to collect wins. Making a move to replace the injured Chandler Jones would make a lot of sense, but Kliff Kingsbury has his eyes set on getting Kyler in the MVP discussion.

The Cardinals call up the Vikings, who are in desperate need of a blowup, and send a 2021 second-round pick and 2022 third-round pick to Minnesota for Adam Thielen, giving them arguably the best stable of wide receivers in the NFL.

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The Seahawks statistically have one of the worst defenses in NFL history through six games. They already made the move to acquire Carlos Dunlap, but one player won't fix their atrocious unit.

The New England Patriots reportedly are willing to listen and move anyone, so the Seahawks send their 2021 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick and a future fifth-round and a to New England for Stephon Gilmore to bulk up a shaky secondary.

But they aren't done. They also trade a 2021 fifth-round pick and 2022 sixth-round to the Atlanta Falcons for Takkarist McKinley, giving them another pass rusher.

Sure, they are low on draft picks now, but their window to win with Russell Wilson at his peak is right now. They can't waste it.

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Hey, we said we were going to get bold. But that's tough with the 49ers, who have the least amount of cap space in the NFL and have to think about future contracts for guys like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.

Still, the 49ers' defense needs a boost and the Dallas Cowboys are C-O-O-K-E-D. So, John Lynch sends a sixth-round pick to Dallas for Aldon Smith.

Smith, who began his career in San Francisco, returned to the NFL this season after a four-year absence while battling substance abuse issues.

Smith has been solid during the 2020 season, recording four sacks in seven games. He also dominated the Seahawks' offensive line in Week 3, sacking Russell Wilson twice.

Smith's base salary is $2 million, so the prorated amount should be able to work for the 49ers with some slight cap maneuvering and they get someone who can help pick up the slack with Bosa out for the season and Dee Ford battling a neck injury.

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