Many want to see the San Francisco 49ers make an aggressive move to show that they are serious about winning a Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and the Los Angeles Rams made trades this offseason to acquire Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie.
While much of the trade speculation talk has surrounded going after veteran pass rushers like Maxx Crosby, could the Niners jump on the opportunity to land a defensive player just entering his prime years?
The Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Carter have yet to agree on a contract extension. Carter is under contract for the next two seasons and will hit free agency in 2028. As a result, if the Eagles are hesitating to pay the 25-year-old, could they be open to a trade?
KNBR’s Larry Krueger believes that the Niners potentially trading for Carter would make more sense to an extent than giving up draft capital for a player who is entering his 30s.
“I’m very concerned about trading for Garrett, Crosby, or anybody, giving up assets and future draft choices for somebody in that 30 range. Jalen Carter is more of a long-term play,” Krueger said on the June 20 edition of “The Krueg Show.” “The other thing I kind of like about the Jalen Carter thing is I’m both interested and not interested.”
The 49ers Should Avoid Trading Three Draft Picks
Moreover, the only concern he would have about any potential 49ers trade for Carter would be the draft capital.
“I’m not interested if I gotta trade two [first round picks and a [third round pick],“ Krueger added. “I’m not interested. I’d be like, ‘Eh, no, too rich for my blood,‘ especially with a guy who’s gonna command $30 million-plus per year on a contract extension and also has had some off-field issues. So three draft choices doesn’t jive. But you don’t know how motivated the Eagles are.”
Krueger also floated the possibility of adding a young player the Eagles might be interested in to help offset one or two draft picks.
“If they were willing to make a deal and the Niners’ draft-pick compensation was only part of it, and the Niners only had to trade maybe one pick plus Renardo [Green] and C.J. West and a receiver or something like that, something along those lines, I think that’s way more palatable,“ Krueger added.
“If the Eagles were willing to take a deal that was at least partly based on some young veterans that the Niners feel like they don’t need, I would rather do that than trade three draft choices and two first-round picks.”
Albert Breer on Jalen Carter, Eagles Contract Situation
The reason for the Carter trade speculation is partly due to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noting that it’s surprising the Eagles haven’t agreed to an extension with their defensive star.
“Philadelphia is telling you what you need to know with its actions,“ Breer wrote in a June 17 mailbag article. “The Eagles have always been aggressive paying their own, in large part because they know that the earlier you do the deal, the better the price you’ll get…
“So the fact that we’re into June without Jalen Carter having a deal is notable. And I’d guess if they do one now, before his fourth season as a pro, then it’d come with flexibility for the team. If Carter won’t give them that flexibility now, maybe he’ll just wait another year.”
Last season, Carter played 640 total snaps for the Eagles, leading to a 60.0 overall PFF defensive grade. He generated 41 total pressures, three sacks, 30 hurries, and eight QB hits. Meanwhile, against the run, Carter recorded 18 solo tackles.
49ers Receive Intriguing Message on Eagles’ Jalen Carter