The San Francisco 49ers are heading into Week 7 with a 4-2 record, coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend.
At 4-2, the 49ers are leading the division, but there are more questions than answers after it was revealed that star linebacker Fred Warner had dislocated and broken his ankle, effectively ending his season.
San Francisco was already down star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who tore his ACL earlier in the year, and now loses their other most important defensive player, who had been playing at a high level before the ankle injury.
The two injuries have raised the question whether the 49ers should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, with some looking to keep pushing with a 4-2 record and others looking to recoup some draft capital in a “reset” year.
CBS Sports’s Jonathan Jones sees them as buyers at the trade deadline, specifically focusing on help at edge rusher, which he believes is an even bigger priority after the Warner injury.
“Quite a large [injury] bug for the San Francisco 49ers,” Jones said earlier this week. “Before Fred Warner’s injury, they needed edge rush help. Nick Bosa goes down with that ACL. They needed edge rush help before he went down with the ACL. They certainly needed it after that fact, but teams aren’t willing to just part with really good edge rushers.
“Of course, we know, as evidenced by just a moment ago, they’re going to be in competition with other teams like the Philadelphia Eagles. Perhaps the Baltimore Ravens, if they still feel like they have a window, for an edge rusher. And what is making it even more crucial is that they’re not going to get a replacement for Fred Warner at the inside linebacker position. No one out there is like Fred Warner, and so it becomes even more imperative to be able to affect the passer. And so that’s why, even more than before Fred Warner’s injury, now especially, the 49ers need to go get some edge rush help.”
In addition, former 49ers executive and Tennessee Titans General Manager Ron Carthon pointed out one specific player as a potential trade candidate: Arden Key.
“A name that I want everyone to keep an eye on is Arden Key, who’s an outside linebacker/edge for the Tennessee Titans,” Carthon said on CBS Sports earlier this week. “Obviously, they just let go of their head coach today. He is a guy that is on an expiring contract, and he played there in 2021, where he resurrected his career. It wasn’t for Robert Saleh, but it was under DeMeco Ryans, but it was under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
“And so that’s a name to keep an eye on there because he gives you an edge presence, but he also made his hay rushing inside, which will then allow them to continue bringing along Mykel Williams.”
San Francisco was linked to several edge rushers earlier this week by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, making it likely that they look to make a move in the coming weeks to add depth there. If they’re not looking to make a major swing, Key seems like a good fit on an expiring deal that shouldn’t cost too much draft capital.
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