It didn’t take the San Francisco 49ers long at all to bring back a familiar face as the Indianapolis Colts are all in on tanking this season. The 49ers traded for DeForest Buckner to bring back the former All-pro and add to this already solid defense. It’s the first of probably a couple of moves the 49ers still need to make in what’s shaping up to be a busy NFL trade deadline. Here’s who else should be on the 49ers’ radar as they look to stay ahead in the NFC West division race.
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars)
San Francisco is having a lot of injury problems to their receiving corps and while adding Buckner is huge, it doesn’t solve their most glaring problem. Mike Evans has turned back the clock, but San Francisco can’t continue to hope he’s going to be good enough to carry the offense the way he has. They have to give him some help and Brian Thomas Jr. makes a lot of sense. It could be the perfect situation for both sides.
Thomas needs a new environment to thrive in while San Francisco desperately needs receiver help. There’s been a lot of speculation that Thomas could be dealt at the deadline, meaning the 49ers might not be the only team interested in landing Jacksonville’s receiver. This is a move they have to make and if they want to capitalize on Buckner, they have to continue to add to this roster to ensure it’s ready for a playoff run.
OL Ben Bredeson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
San Francisco could benefit from some depth on the offensive line, specifically the interior. With Quenton Nelson off the board, Ben Bredeson becomes the next best option.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-5 and have every reason to sell and look toward April. The 49ers can’t have any slipups in not improving this roster. The Los Angeles Rams could be back fully healthy for the second half of the season, meaning if Garrett comes back, they’ll need as good of an offensive line as they can have.
EDGE Tuli Tuipolotu (Los Angeles Chargers)
Tuli Tuipulotu is a name that could be popular if the Los Angeles Chargers fully sell off their best assets. This also means the 49ers would have to give up more than they would for someone like Josh Sweat or Khalil Mack. But they’d have Tuipulotu for the long term if they choose. Nick Bosa has been on and off the injury report this season — and is coming off a torn ACL from last year — and Romello Height and Mykel Williams are more role players than consistent contributors for now.
Sweat or Mack might be the better option, but when it comes to having a long-term answer, Tuipulotu just makes too much sense. It’s unlikely the Arizona Cardinals will trade Sweat to a division rival and Mack isn’t going to necessarily be as productive as they’d like, in my opinion. It will cost a lot, but landing Tuipulotu would certainly show they’re serious about contending this season.
RB Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans)
This is an interesting move here. They don’t desperately need running back depth in the form of Tony Pollard. That said, he’d be the perfect backup to have in the event Christian McCaffrey misses time or to even help reduce his load through the rest of the season. Aside from the fact that Pollard ran for nearly 130 yards against the Cleveland Browns, it’s been a decent season for him. This was his first 100-plus rushing yard game of the year and the first game he scored a touchdown in Week 4.
The Titans might not be ready to part ways with him just yet, but if they do, the 49ers have to be intrigued, if for nothing more than to keep Seattle from landing him first and having to go against him. McCaffrey is listed as questionable after Week 7, so the 49ers would be wise to get depth. Because it’s a hamstring injury, turning to Pollard as an option for playoff depth seems like a smart move to ensure they don’t let injuries derail their playoff hopes.
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