The San Francisco 49ers are desperate for help on the defensive line. They have already addressed this in a minor trade with the New England Patriots, but now they should set their sights on Arizona Cardinals veteran Calais Campbell.
The Keion White trade with New England gives the Niners some needed depth on the edge, but the team still needs to find a way to put more pressure on the quarterback. Campbell is an interior defensive lineman rather than an edge rusher, but he would still help the team have some sort of pass rush.
The 39-year-old veteran has three sacks on the season and has nine quarterback hits. If he can reliably bring that sort of pressure from the middle of the line, that could at the very least speed things up for opposing quarterbacks or create opportunities for the team's edge rushers to get to the signal-caller.
Campbell's name has been floated in trade speculation, and other teams would definitely benefit from having him on their rosters. But the Niners are in a unique spot, given all of the injuries they have sustained. Despite the attrition on defense, San Francisco still finds itself at 5-3 on the season and alive in the NFC West.
Conversely, the Cardinals are 2-5 on the season and appear to be out of the running. Arizona is likely turning its eye for the future, and at this point in his career, Campbell would most likely rather play for a team that has some sort of shot at the playoffs, which is why a trade, even though it is within the division, could actually be beneficial for all parties.
If the Niners could part way with a late-round draft pick in exchange for Campbell, that would likely be worth it just to give them a little extra firepower up front and a veteran presence on a fairly inexperienced line. He could also serve as something of a mentor to rookies like Alfred Collins and C.J. West, who will be expected to play a big role on the team's defensive line in future seasons.
The Niners already saw Campbell up close earlier this season when the two teams squared off in Week 3. He had three quarterback hits on Mac Jones, so they have seen him get to the quarterback with their own eyes, now they should try to get him in red and gold ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.