The 49ers are clearly in the market for a pass rusher in the wake of Nick Bosa’s season-ending torn ACL, and one NFL insider believes they will at least make an enquiry about a blockbuster trade to try to fill the void.
San Francisco has just six sacks on the season, tied for the second-fewest in the NFL, with two of them having come from Bosa. Bryce Huff recorded his third of the season against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, while rookie corner Upton Stout has one.
In addition, the 49ers rank second-last in the NFL in pressure rate and, while there have been encouraging signs from some of the younger players on the defensive line, it is clear that group could use a boost after losing its foundational piece in Bosa.
General manager John Lynch told KNBR this week that he has had discussions about a potential trade for a pass rusher.
“I’m having a lot of conversations, a lot of good and productive ones,” Lynch said. “It is a premium position, so teams don’t like just letting those guys out the door when they’re good football players. So you have to identify the right guy that, number one, is going to help us.”
“Right now, I’m real proud of the effort our guys are playing with. And if we find a way to make our football team better and it aligns, then we will not be shy on pulling the trigger.
“It’s not for lack of putting in the work—we’re doing that. And if everything aligns, we’ll see.”
And The Athletic’s Dianna Russini expects the 49ers to at least call on Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals pass rusher who is perhaps the one pass rusher who may be available who could be considered as being on Bosa’s level.
Hendrickson would undoubtedly elevate the pass rush and the defensive line as a whole, having racked up 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. He already has four this year.
And, having failed to reach agreement on a long-term deal with the Bengals, Hendrickson is a free agent this offseason, meaning a Cincinnati team that is cratering after losing Joe Burrow to a severe toe turf injury may have motivation to get something back for the 30-year-old if things go south.
But there are other factors to consider that could prohibit a trade, the first being the potential cost.
Cincinnati would be right to want a high pick for Hendrickson given his production, and San Francisco may be unwilling to part with premium capital, the 49ers having made a conscious effort to get younger in recent years.
The age is also an issue. While Hendrickson has shown no signs of slowing down, the 49ers might be reluctant to hand a long-term deal to Hendrickson following a trade, given he turns 31 in December.
But Hendrickson is the kind of player for whom you can make an exception. If the 49ers keep finding ways to claim wins amid significant injury adversity and move closer to a playoff run as Cincinnati falls away, then the likelihood of them trying to thrash out a deal for a pass rusher who could greatly improve their pass rush and their Super Bowl odds will increase.
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