The San Francisco 49ers are entering their bye week having suffered their first loss of the season in Week 7. While the team has remained wildly impressive to begin the year, it’s clear that another rash of injuries is going to force the front office to explore making some upgrades ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.
A big chip on the trade market fell on Tuesday when the Indianapolis Colts traded All-Pro offensive lineman Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks. With a fire sale seemingly underway for the Colts, it seems like the next guy set to be traded is defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has been frequently linked to a return to San Fran. In the wake of the Nelson deal, one insider issued an update on the Buckner trade rumors.
Insider Confirms 49ers’ Interest in DeForest Buckner Trade
Anytime a team races out to a 6-1 record to begin the season, it is labeled as a relatively impressive feat. The fact that the Niners were able to do what they have done with their injury situation, though, makes their start truly surprising. Up until its loss to Atlanta, San Fran had largely managed to skate past its opponents, despite constantly playing shorthanded at several key spots.
The 49ers have been down a handful of players along their defensive line pretty much all season long, and while they should get healthier out of their bye week, upgrades could still be made at this spot. With the Colts selling off several of their players, Buckner has emerged as an obvious trade target for San Francisco, given that he spent the first four years of his career with them.
Even at the age of 32, Buckner remains one of the top interior defensive linemen in the NFL. After watching the Seahawks make a huge move, NFL insider Ian Rapoport thinks that it could kick off an arms race of sorts, as he noted that the Niners are very interested in Buckner and could look to finalize a deal for him in the near future.
DeForest Buckner would certainly be a big one,” Rapoport said on “Big Day.” “Obviously, the San Francisco 49ers, where he played, have significant interest there. We’ll see if they’re able to do a deal.”
Should the 49ers Trade for DeForest Buckner?
There are a lot of reasons why a trade for Buckner makes sense. Not only is he familiar with San Francisco’s defensive scheme, but he is still playing at a high level for Indy through seven games this season (31 tackles, four sacks, three pass breakups). Add in the fact that the 49ers need help along the defensive line, and it’s a near-perfect fit.
Buckner is in the final year of his contract, so the Colts obviously have an incentive to move on from him before he potentially departs for nothing in free agency over the offseason. The Niners seem to be operating with a heightened sense of urgency in the wake of the Seahawks’ move for Nelson, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise to see something get done here in the near future.
Insider Addresses 49ers’ DeForest Buckner Trade Rumors