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It was reported that the San Francisco 49ers had been quietly working on trading Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner
since around the time of Super Bowl LIV. The move became a reality on Monday, as the team that drafted Buckner, one of its best players,
sent him to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick.
Buckner had known for a few days that a trade was a possibility. It was still difficult to take in when the 49ers told him he was headed to Indianapolis.
"I was expecting the announcement," Buckner told Indianapolis-area reporters on Wednesday via a conference call, after the trade became official. "When it was finally announced, me, my wife, my family, we were just excited."
The 49ers had hoped to lock up Buckner to a long-term deal. When it became apparent that wasn't going to happen, the team looked to get something for him rather than let him walk after the 2020 season.
Buckner got his payday. Upon being traded, he signed a four-year deal paying him an average of $21 million per year with nearly $44.4 million guaranteed. He is now the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL.
Still, it was difficult to move on from San Francisco.
"It's always tough when you play your heart out for an organization," Buckner continued. "And you're obviously one of the key guys, and obviously you build a lot of lifelong relationships there and everything. And to find (out) the fact that you're a possibility to be traded, I mean, obviously, with any person, any guy in this profession, it would kind of hurt a little bit.
"But at the same time, you can't take it personal because it's the business of the game. It's the business we choose. The only thing I can control is my attitude moving forward, and I'm just blessed to have this opportunity.
"The fact that this organization is willing to believe in me, and bring me in, feeling wanted, and needed at a certain place, it feels good. I'm just excited to show everyone what I can bring to the table."
The money saved by trading Buckner was used to work out a long-term deal with the defensive tackle's friend and now-former teammate, Arik Armstead. It also allowed San Francisco to re-sign safety Jimmie Ward and bring back defensive lineman Ronald Blair.
"Super excited that he got that payday,"
Armstead said of Buckner on Wednesday. "I wish it was with us. Me and DeFo have been playing alongside each other for so many years now. It was definitely a weird day, you know, mixed emotions."
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
