The start of the NFL's legal tampering has been action packed through the first two days. Outside of taking care of their own by extending Mike Person and Kyle Nelson, the 49ers have been relatively quiet at the start of free agency, only signing inside linebacker Kwon Alexander.
There are still plenty of big names available that the 49ers should remain interested in (Earl Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton Dix, Justin Houston, Ezekiel Ansah, Steven Nelson, and Jason McCourty) so the 49ers may not be done.
Where the 49ers have been active is on the trade rumor mill. There has been so much chatter linking the 49ers to trading for Odell Beckham Jr. Fox Sport's Colin Cowherd broke down the situation earlier this morning
"There's two teams that Odell Beckham Jr. would prefer to play with: Rams and 49ers... Jimmy Garoppolo with Odell Beckham would be one of most fascinating combos in the NFL." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/Kitm1UmuWv
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 12, 2019
As we can see, there's interest in getting a deal done from both sides. The 49ers are really looking to "make a big splash" this offseason, while the Giants and trying to put themselves in the best position to rebuild their franchise.
The speculated trade packages are centered around the 49ers number two pick in this year's draft, and while John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan are eager to make a big move, the second overall pick is a lot of equity to give up for a wide receiver, even if his name is Odell Beckham Jr.
The 49ers' interest in OBJ is with reason. Their leading wide receiver last year was Kendrick Bourne with 487 yards and 42 receptions. OBJ is a massive upgrade to their receiving group and allowing Shanahan to manage an offense with Jimmy Garoppolo, OBJ, George Kittle, Jerick McKinnon, Kyle Juszcyk, and Dante Pettis would be flat out dangerous.
I would center a trade around a 2020 first round pick and this year's second-round pick (36th overall) for OBJ. That seems like a sufficient package when you consider the Pittsburgh Steelers only received a third-round pick (66 overall) and fifth-round pick (141 overall) for Antonio Brown. Granted, Brown is on the wrong side of 30 and was a big distraction in the locker room, but still as elite of a wide receiver as OBJ.
The issue with my proposed trade is that the Giants are hell-bent on getting this year's first-round pick. While that trade seems steep, it could be justified if the teams swamp this year's first-round picks (Giants hold the 6th overall pick).
While that makes trading the second overall pick more justifiable, the 49ers would be making a mistake if they traded the second overall pick without waiting until draft day.
The first overall selection is still up in the air and belongs to the Arizona Cardinals. If the Cardinals draft quarterback Kyler Murray, then the 49ers
would have the opportunity to fill a massive hole on their roster with a generational talent in Nick Bosa. If the Cardinals take the "best available player route," and draft Bosa, then the 49ers could very well justify moving back four draft slots in exchange for OBJ.
So waiting to see what the Cardinals do with the first pick is the most logical solution for the 49ers. There is enough depth at positions of need that the 49ers would still be in a good draft situation if they moved down to number six. Josh Allen, Quinnen Williams, Montez Sweat, and Brian Burns are players that the 49ers could potentially look to draft at the sixth spot.
I'm not saying the 49ers should part ways with the number two overall pick for OBJ. But if the Cardinals decide not to draft Murray on draft day and take Nick Bosa, then it makes more sense for the 49ers to move down in exchange for OBJ.
