The San Francisco 49ers are apparently earning "the right," as general manager John Lynch mentioned prior to his team's overtime-thrilling win over the Los Angeles Rams, to pull off a deal between now and the NFL trade deadline.
So, not surprisingly, it's easy to see the Niners as buyers between now and Nov. 4, especially considering the sheer number of injuries Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have had to overcome over the first five weeks.
Unsurprisingly, most trade links and suggestions have San Francisco targeting a pass-rusher to help make up for the loss of All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa.
And while there have been some exceptions, one recent suggestion by Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has the 49ers thinking out of the box at the deadline.
B/R suggests 49ers make a trade for TE David Njoku
Knox went through the league and looked at high-profile trade targets with just less than a month before the deadline, and there are plenty of regularly seen names there.
And it's not too surprising to see Cleveland Browns veteran tight end David Njoku, a free agent to be in 2026 who might be one of the Browns' best trade assets in what'll likely be yet another rebuild offseason this upcoming spring and summer.
Of the 29-year-old weapon's serviceability, Knox wrote:
"Harold Fannin Jr. has impressed and appears poised to take over as Cleveland's long-term starting tight end. Through five weeks, the rookie has caught 21 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown.
Njoku has caught 20 for 195 and a score.
While there's value in having two pass-catching tight ends—especially for a team trying to support a young signal-caller—the Browns have to be thinking long-term.
Njoku is set to be a free agent in 2026, and Cleveland should be able to get, at worst, a middle-round pick for him."
And Knox listed both the Niners and Los Angeles Chargers as potential suitors.
It's a provocative suggestion. Njoku would undoubtedly be a fit in Shanahan's offense, yes. And with All-Pro tight end George Kittle (hamstring) still on injured reserve, grabbing a proven pass catcher wouldn't hurt matters at all.
Except, there's one major obstacle: tight end Jake Tonges.
Tonges, an undrafted free agent out of Cal and from nearby Los Gatos, California, was a fringe roster player who somehow emerged as a San Francisco hero once Kittle went down with his Week 1 injury. He already has 19 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns serving as Kittle's primary pass-catching replacement.
And Tonges is younger and significantly cheaper, too, which fits right into what the 49ers were trying to do last offseason with all their roster moves.
Granted, adding Njoku would be a low-risk move to beef up Shanahan's pass-catching arsenal, so a trade of this ilk makes sense on that front.
But, Tonges pretty much negates the Niners' need to spend draft capital to acquire a player whose need isn't readily apparent.