The San Francisco 49ers have already made one move leading up to the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline after trading for DeForest Buckner. Nonetheless, with only a few days left until the deadline, could the Niners make another move to bolster the team?
One of the names in the trade speculation conversation is Los Angeles Chargers edge Khalil Mack. With the Chargers being 0-7 and the veteran pass rusher on a one-year contract, it would make sense for Los Angeles to recoup a draft asset.
However, that might not be the direction the Chargers’ front office takes ahead of the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones shared the latest on the speculation regarding Mack.
“The Chargers are the final winless team in the NFL, and they’re staring 0-8 in the face with a meeting Sunday against the desperate Houston Texans,” Jones wrote in a Nov. 7 article. “But L.A. has signaled to everyone that it does not intend to trade players, even ones on expiring contracts, such as Khalil Mack.
“It has confounded rival teams who wish to peck at the Chargers’ carcass before Tuesday. And in searching for a reason, a few executives I spoke with pointed to the head coach specifically.”
Khalil Mack Would Be Ideal Fit for the 49ers Locker Room
Mack has played 311 defensive snaps for the Chargers this season so far, leading to a 74.2 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he has generated 16 total pressures, three sacks, nine hurries, four QB hits, and 11 solo tackles.
The veteran can still produce and would be a major asset for a contending team like the 49ers. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if the Chargers fall to 0-8, and whether they finally decide to sell their veteran players and stop with this stance of holding onto them.
Whether the Chargers decide to sell or not in the final hours of the trade deadline, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger believes that the 49ers would be one of the teams that would best fit Mack.
“Someone like Khalil Mack would fit perfectly in [the 49ers’] locker room,” Baldinger said during a Nov. 6 appearance on 95.7 The Game. “He’s the ultimate pro. He’s just a great guy. Everybody worships Khalil Mack. Just his work ethic and the way he goes about his business. I could even see Chicago. I know they just made the deal, but before they made the deal for Simmons, I could have seen Khalil going there, and he would have gone back there in a second.
“He loved his time in Chicago. Somebody’s going to get a good player. He’s never won a playoff game. At some point, you almost owe the player. I know you can’t manufacture playoff wins for players and stuff like that, but you guys have never won a playoff game.”
Niners Were Looking to Bring Back Jauan Jennings
The Niners are working the phones ahead of the trade deadline as they recently tried to trade for Minnesota Vikings wideout Jauan Jennings. However, that trade failed to go through due to the player wanting to remain in Minnesota.
While speaking to the media on Nov. 4, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the report that they were keen on the veteran wideout.
“The report was accurate, just not totally exactly detailed up,” Shanahan told reporters. “I mean, you can’t talk to other players on other teams. You’re not allowed to.
“We love Jauan. We have such a good relationship with Jauan and know him really well and we didn’t want to do it without talking to him first. So, we had to agree on some things to at least make it close enough to be able to talk to him.”
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