While it feels like the NFL season just got started, the trade deadline is less than two weeks away. Exactly one year ago to the day, the 49ers made a defining trade by acquiring Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for future second-through-fifth-round picks.
It’s safe to say that trade has gone down pretty well for San Francisco.
With that in mind, general manager John Lynch was asked about the possibility of a trade deadline move on his weekly hit with Murph and Mac.
Lynch acknowledged that he’s been on the phone around the league:
Yeah, I think this time of the year, it’s just a lot of phone calls with other teams.
“Where are you guys at? What are you looking for? Who’s available?”
Then you start to hone in on, okay in the right situation, these are the guys we’d like to have. So it’s just a lot of communication with other teams. We think we’ve got a proven track record where we’re not afraid to be active and if it can help our team.
As crazy as it sounds with just 11 day before the deadline, it’s way too early to know how teams will approach it.
Lynch pointed out that the 49ers have been “relatively healthy” and feel confident in both their top-level talent and depth.
That said, if there’s a move out there that makes sense, it could come into focus, especially after the 49ers’ home matchup against the Bengals, right before the deadline and their Week 9 bye:
“We’re certainly not afraid to to make a splash if needed, and if we think it can improve us,” Lynch said. “That’s not just a stock answer. I think there’s still Halloween where the trade deadline is, right after our Cincinnati game. So that’s a long time in terms of these things, and we’ll continue to monitor, continue to communicate and if we can make a difference on this team, we will.”
The 49ers will travel to Minneapolis in hopes of a Monday night rebound against the Vikings before returning home to face the surging Bengals at Levi’s Stadium the following Sunday. By then, there could be some moves worth making.
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