The San Francisco 49ers need another edge-rusher to pair with superstar Nick Bosa. How big can they swing to land one?
Because they’re still weighing how much to pay quarterback Brock Purdy in a possible contract extension, the 49ers’ future budget these days is in flux. Maybe they’ll be willing to splurge on a new edge-rusher, or maybe they’ll just target one early in the NFL Draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a tight budget after extending receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and they don’t seem to be inclined to shell out more money for star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, which is making the latter a popular trade candidate this offseason.
On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox proposed that the 49ers could acquire Hendrickson, who is entering the final year of his current deal, in a blockbuster trade to bolster their pass rush.
In the trade, Knox hypothesized that the 49ers could send a first-round pick swap (their 11th-overall pick for the Bengals’ 17th), plus their third-round picks in each of the next two drafts to Cincinnati.
“Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd was among the departures, as he was released during the legal-contact window,” Knox wrote. “The 49ers have yet to replace him and are still searching for a quality complement to edge-rusher Nick Bosa.
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“San Francisco is equipped with two third-round picks—it was awarded a special compensatory selection for the external hirings of DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon. It could offer both selections, along with a fairly sizeable first-round jump, to Cincinnati for Hendrickson.”
There’s no doubt that Hendrickson would be a huge help on the field–he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks this past season and generated a career-high 54 pressures. But can the 49ers afford the extension that he’s unhappy he hasn’t already received?
Hendrickson’s projected market value, via Spotrac, is three years, $63 million. While it’s not clear if that offer is close to the range the star might accept, it’s clear the 49ers would have to open up their wallets to make him happy, and it’s unclear whether they currently have the bandwidth to do so.
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