NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles are on a collision course. The two teams are racing toward home-field advantage and will clash on the football field in Week 13, a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has already made waves by acquiring safety Kevin Byard, further strengthening a formidable roster. With the October 31 trade deadline looming, Roseman could still have more moves up his sleeve.
Jeremiah suggests that the 49ers, armed with an NFL-leading $40 million in salary cap space, could be poised to make a significant move to stay competitive. He speculates that head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch could be preparing to make a headline-worthy move.
"I think they do something big," Jeremiah recently said on the "Move the Sticks" podcast. "They're all in right now. ... We talked about wideouts, maybe somebody that can take the top off. Is that [Broncos WR] Courtland [Sutton]? Is that [Broncos WR] Jerry Jeudy? I don't know. Is there somebody bigger out there?"
Jeremiah also pointed out that the 49ers have a history of making bold moves, like last season's surprise acquisition of running back Christian McCaffrey, who has since proven to be a game-changer for the team.
"I mean, McCaffrey is darn near as big a name as you can get, and they went and got him last year, Buck," Jeremiah told his co-host, Bucky Brooks. "I think we're missing something with this team. Keep an eye on the 49ers because it doesn't feel like this is a team that's going to go quiet. This feels like a team that's ready to make a big, bold move."
Brooks suggests that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans could be a potential fit, providing an extra dimension to their offense.
"You talk about a rental agreement, where they can take him, put him in the mix, give them another big body," Brooks shared. "You talk about that 11-personnel package and how you have to defend that with Christian McCaffrey in the running game, that certainly would change it."
He believes the 49ers must make a "checkmate move" after the Eagles added Byard.
"It has to be something big because, right now, you look at the Eagles roster with [WR] Julio Jones, who is not the same player, but they are certainly going up," Brooks added.
If the 49ers look to bolster the defensive side of the football, Jeremiah ponders the addition of Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns.
"Maybe it's just, hey, what are you going to do when we've got Nick Bosa on one side and now we've got Brian Burns on the other? We've got [DT Javon] Hargrave and [DT Arik] Armstead inside." Jeremiah said. "Maybe that's what they do. But they've got the assets. They've got money, they've got picks, and they're all in. ... But it just feels like there's no way we get to Halloween and the 49ers haven't done something. There's no way."
H/t to C.W. Nevius for the find.
You can listen to the entire podcast episode below.