The San Francisco 49ers have lost so many of their star players up to this point that it only makes sense for general manager John Lynch and Co. to be linked to other stars across the league leading up to the NFL trade deadline next month.
Although it's more than fair to admit the Niners would never be able to adequately make up for season-ending losses to high-profile standouts, such as linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa. If anything, would-be trades to solve those injuries are merely upgrades over Warner and Bosa's backups currently on San Francisco's roster.
The bulk of trade suggestions typically have the 49ers looking to add pieces to supplement an injury-riddled roster.
However, a few show up here and there that have Lynch and the Niners offboarding talent instead, including one ESPN piece by Bill Barnwell involving a player not exactly discussed much in advance of the deadline.
ESPN proposes 49ers ship off veteran safety to Bills
Ready for it?
Barnwell suggested San Francisco ship off veteran safety Jason Pinnock and a seventh-round NFL Draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a sixth-rounder.
Blockbuster, right?
The ESPN analyst justifies the move, having written:
"The Bills badly need help at safety. Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp have struggled both in coverage and with tackling this season. The Bills aren't going to give up on Bishop, a second-round pick in last year's draft, but so many of the big plays they've struggled with this season have come in moments where Buffalo's safeties either missed tackles or weren't in position to even attempt one."
From the 49ers' perspective, Pinnock is expendable to a degree in light of second-year pro Malik Mustapha's return from 2024's torn ACL. And despite additional disappointments from third-year defensive back Ji'Ayir Brown, the addition of rookie safety Marques Sigle points to the youth movement over keeping someone like Pinnock around.
Moving up one round late on day three of the draft doesn't exactly seem like something the Niners would do at the expense of further thinning out their own depth, and even Barnwell seems slanted toward Buffalo desperately wanting to improve its secondary within an underperforming defense.
However, it's the kind of move that'd make more sense from the Niners' vantage point if the next few weeks ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline don't go well, and Lynch opts to fully commit to the youth movement.
At least now one can say Pinnock's name has come up in trade circles, though.