Five players 49ers should target at NFL trade deadline
The Nov. 3 trade deadline is rapidly approaching.
The 49ers are unlikely to have the same approach to the trade deadline that they had a season ago, but that doesn't mean they'll be quiet. They've already made one move, and it's not out of the question that more could be coming.
Few teams, if any, have been hit as hard by the injury bug as the 49ers have, and they remain without several significant contributors, some of whom might or might not return later in the season. Nonetheless, San Francisco still finds itself in the thick of the NFC playoff race, and some smart trade deadline acquisitions could be exactly what the team needs to secure a postseason berth.
It won't be easy, though. The 49ers currently have very little financial wiggle room to work with, which could make absorbing another salary quite challenging. Of course, they also have the ability to create more cap space if needed, whether through contract restructurings or trading players away.
The 49ers have a few critical needs. Here are five players they should target at the trade deadline:
With Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas lost for the season, and Dee Ford likely out until at least Week 12, the 49ers are in desperate need of more pressure off the edge. Kerry Hyder and Arik Armstead have played quite well, and newly acquired Jordan Willis certainly has the potential to contribute, but San Francisco still needs more help.
Enter Kerrigan, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Washington Football Team, the first three seasons of which Kyle Shanahan was their offensive coordinator. The accomplished veteran with 93 career sacks has been leapfrogged on the depth chart by younger players, and played the fewest snaps of his career against the New York Giants last week.
Kerrigan is in the final year of his contract and, given Washington's 1-5 record, he could be a prime candidate to be traded. It likely would cost the 49ers a decent draft pick, and they'd need to create more salary cap space to bring him in, but of the realistically available options, he'd arguably help them more than anyone.
The 49ers should look into Lawson for the same reasons they should Kerrigan. He plays for a bad team, is in the final year of his contract and is a proven pass rusher.
Lawson, 25, has posted the 26th-best pass-rush rating among all edge defenders this season, according to Pro Football Focus. For comparison, Armstead ranks 28th, Kerrigan ranks 29th and Hyder ranks 58th. Like Kerrigan, Lawson is stuck behind multiple players on the Cincinnati Bengals' depth chart, all of which are signed through next season.
Aside from being considerably younger than Kerrigan, Lawson also carries a significantly smaller cap hit, meaning it would be much easier for the 49ers to absorb his salary. The Bengals are still in a rebuilding phase, and might consider a mid-to-late round pick fair compensation.
Weston Richburg won't return until Week 12 at the absolute earliest, and Ben Garland will be on injured reserve for at least the next three weeks. That leaves the 49ers with Hroniss Grassu at center, and very little else.
Mack is one of the best centers in all of football, and he has plenty of experience with Shanahan, having previously played for him with both the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. There is no doubt that the 49ers would love to bring a player of Mack's caliber into the locker room, but it'll be a challenge.
The Falcons already have begun blowing up their roster, and they might be inclined to get something in return for Mack, who is in the final year of his contract. That said, in order to acquire him, the 49ers would have to create some considerable cap space.
Layne, 22, was a third-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers just a year ago, but he hasn't had many opportunities to contribute to their loaded defense so far this season. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, he certainly fits the mold of the type of cornerback the 49ers seem to favor.
Jason Verrett has returned to his Pro Bowl form, Emmanuel Moseley played well in his return from a two-game absence in the win over the Los Angeles Rams last week, and nickel back K'Waun Williams might come off IR as soon as next week. Still, given all of their injury histories and the fact that Richard Sherman is unlikely to return until Week 12, the 49ers might want to add some insurance in the secondary.
Layne is young, cheap and under contract through the 2022 season. The 49ers' cornerback depth chart for next season currently is basically empty, so Layne could be a good fit both now and moving forward. Of course, the Steelers won't give him away for nothing.
The Falcons' season is going nowhere, and they have very little reason to hold onto Dennard, who is approaching the midway point of his one-year contract with the team. The 49ers could use some cornerback help, and Dennard is capable of providing it.
The seven-year pro has posted the 40th-best coverage grade of all NFL cornerbacks so far this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Depending on what happens with the 49ers' other cornerbacks, that could definitely prove useful.
The 49ers wouldn't have to do much financial maneuvering to bring Dennard in -- that is, if he's eligible to be traded. Dennard was placed on IR following Week 3 with a hamstring injury, and is currently eligible to return from it. Teams cannot trade players who are on IR, so he'd have to be activated soon in order to be moved.
