© Kim Klement | 2019 Sep 8
The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and at 5-0, the 49ers don’t have a ton of holes that need to be filled on their roster.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t areas they can improve, however, and longtime 49ers beat writer Matt Barrows broke down what the biggest area of need is should the team decide to scour the trade market.
“I would say it’s wide receiver,” Barrows said. “Stefon Diggs in Minnesota was unhappy a couple weeks ago at least. I don’t think he’s being moved, but someone like that I think would be a really nice, ideal piece for this team. I love your O.J. Howard idea. I mean that would just be such a pick your poison issue for opposing defenses. The flip side of that is you’d just be renting him for a little while. You’re going to have to pay George Kittle pretty soon and you’re going to have to pay him a hefty amount. You would run into the same Vernon Davis or Delanie Walker conundrum that the 49ers had a few years ago.”
Diggs, 25, scored three touchdowns for the Vikings last week, and has been the subject of trade rumors, rumors he said had some truth to them two weeks ago. The 49ers currently have three receivers dealing with injuries in Deebo Samuel (questionable with groin), Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd (injured reserve). Despite the fit, Barrows doesn’t believe John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan are looking to make a splashy move at the deadline.
“I just don’t see the 49ers making any significant moves. I think they’re very much in love with what they’ve got going on right now. It’s exactly the culture that John Lynch wanted when he took over. They’re winning and they’d be hesitant to upset the applecart at this point.”
Speaking of splashy moves, the Rams, fresh off a 20-7 butt-whopping from the 49ers, just sent three draft picks (including two first-rounders) to the Jaguars in exchange for disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
How are the 49ers reacting to that move?
“I think if you’re asking the 49ers about it they’re kind of shrugging their shoulders and saying ‘bring it on, let’s see if they get any better than they were on Sunday.’ My whole thing with Jalen Ramsey is he’s one of the top two or three cornerbacks in the league but it’s not like the Jacksonville Jaguars were winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl with him. He’s definitely going to help that defense but I feel like the 49ers love what they have in the locker room, and it’s that cohesion and momentum that is going to fuel them this season.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Barrows on trades, start from 15:05.