Report: 49ers sign Arik Armstead, agree to trade DeForest Buckner to the Colts

Posted By on March 16, 2020

FILE – In this Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle D.J. Jones (93), defensive end DeForest Buckner (99), defensive end Arik Armstead (91) and defensive end Solomon Thomas (94) wait at the line of scrimmage during the first half of the team’s NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Santa Clara, Calif. The defensive members of the 2017 draft class who were expected to be building blocks provided little impact, with first-round defensive lineman Thomas recording only one sack, first-round linebacker Reuben Foster getting released after another arrest and third-round cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon struggling. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Goodbye, DeForest. Hello, Arik.

The 49ers have signed Arik Armstead to a five-year extension worth up to $85 million and, to create cap room for Armstead, have traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts for the 13th pick in this year’s draft.

Fascinating move.

It was clear the 49ers couldn’t sign both Buckner and Armstead and long term, but most assumed the 49ers would trade Armstead and extend Buckner — that’s certainly what I would have done. What would you have done? Do you like this deal? Why or why not?

This article has 220 Comments

  1. I feel good about it…..going to miss Buckner – but locking down Ford, Bosa, Armstead for the next 4 yrs sounds good…..

    Armstead plays the DE and DT above average…..while Buckner only plays the DT well.

    Stick a cheap NT/DT and we should still have a solid line….

    1. FORD??? wtf? he didn’t even do squat in the SB….gimpy throwing good money at bad

  2. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,., What?!?!?!? I don’t like the move at all. Buckner is better than Armstead regardless of the year Armstead just had. Wow!

    Alright, now that I’m over that – who will be available at pick 13?

  3. Buckner wanted to make Donald money, and the 49ers were not going to be able to pay him that. That’s how we ended up here.

    2. Should have traded AA . Buckner is 2nd best tackle in league , defense just got weaker

  4. Gotta lot of mileage on our #7 pick which explains the 6 spot depreciation, even if they end up being highway miles. For the Colts, they get a locker room leader and a dominant player with a rock solid constitution. Appreciative of his time here, and wish him well….

  5. Upon further review, these deals makes a lot of sense, IMO. While Buckner has been the more consistent player, Armstead has actually been the more productive player ever since he had his torn labrum repaired. Buckner is a heck of a player, but he is no Aaron Donald, and Armstead is clearly more versatile. Buckner will be missed, but looking at the big picture, I think holding onto Armstead while dealing Buckner, makes the most sense for the 49ers, certainly beyond 2020. Thumbs up from me.

  6. Very dumb move..Buckner is a all pro & is the second best DT IN NFL BEHIND DONALD..Armstead I can make a case might be the weak link on that front..does Lynch have Corono?? If u do trade Buckner u have to get back more then #13 cuz now u gotto pray Jerry Jeudy is still on the Board or CeeDe Lamb & then pray they become All Pro at Wr for this trade to be thought of some win..that’s asking a lot & Lynch didn’t get enough picks,should got 1 & 2 or 1 this year & year 1 next year like Ramsey got..

  7. imagine if we had lost Armstead this year to FA and were unable to match Buckner $21 mil/yr request next yr –

    option would have been to franchise and trade Buckner…..doing it a year earlier is actually smart business

    or

    if we had kept Armstead at $17mil/yr – and next year we won’t be able to resign Buckner – it probably would have ended up a franchise and trade …..better get that 1st rd pick this year

  8. Buckner is worth more than the #13 pick? Evidently not, unless you’re saying that Lynch sold to the lowest bidder. There’s some very good DT’s in this draft as well. At least three 1st rounders I’d reckon….

    1. Buckner is clearly better than the thirteenth pick is likely to be (unless Lynch gets lucky), except that when you draft someone at #13, you get to pay them much less than Buckner will get. Players on rookie contracts are bargains if you draft wisely, and the 49ers need bargains.

      So I guess I’m not too depressed about the trade, but I sure liked Buckner’s personality as well as his play.

      1. In a perfect world, Craig, in a perfect world.

        Unfortunately, you can’t keep everyone, so business decisions need to be made. The 49ers opted for the more versatile DL, while saving $4M a year in the process (although I haven’ yet seen the contract details). They end up with the Colts’ 13th overall pick in the process, which gives them a lot more draft flexibility, which is likely a lot more than they would have gotten for Armstead in a tag and trade scenario. In the end, as much as I like Buckner, I think this makes a ton of sense for the team in the long run, provided they hit on the draft. Armstead is an ascending player, and his versatility is an important factor as well.

  9. Probably the best they could get for AA was a #2, if that. The #1 for Buckner was too good for the niners to pass up. They could trade that down – maybe get a lower #1 and #2.

    1. Maybe Saleh/Kocurek were part of this decision, and their input gave the organization the comfort level to pull the trigger….

      1. I doubt Saleh as a clue – definitely Kocurek since Kiffin is no longer on the team

      2. I think so too. I hope that AA isn’t just a contract year wonder and they can get out of it in a year or 2 if he is.

  10. Isn’t it true all this deals are finalized after a physical……..with the corona-shut down…….is it possible we see some deals undone?

    Only reason I want this is I am praying the DeAndre Hopkins deal be stopped…..

  11. I don’t love the idea of handing Armstead a big bag of money; with that said this if we were going to be stuck with him this is likely the best overall situation.

    I love having two first round picks. Hello Jeudy?

      3. I am hearing the 49ers want to sign Phillip Dorsett. If they get him, then Jeudy may make more sense – assuming he is available.

  12. This trade is going to take me a while to fathom. Wow. I don’t think any regular on this blog ever thought that Buckner could be traded.

    2. I thought it was possible and posted about it on the board a few weeks back when I had heard the rumors regarding Buckner’s salary demands.

  13. Hey! Niner Faithful! I’m excited about that move. Two options: #1 They could hold onto those picks and get some big time players.
    #2 They could trade the #13 pick to recoup those 2nd and 3rd round picks and more. It would be like we got Emmanuel Sanders for free. Sort of. Knowing how smart, savvy, and maybe methodical John Lynch is, I bet he does one of those two. Anyone agree with me? Alright, Niners!!!

    2. “Got Sanders for free” ?!!!! You’ve got to be kidding! more like “got Sanders for half a season in exchange for Buckner” how do you like that trade? Bb

  15. john lynch should be curve stopped then fired he keeps making the stuppids signings trades

  16. Not a fan of the move from a pure football perspective. Armstead is not a $17M a year player – one “dominant” season where he benefitted from great players around him. Buckner was one of those great players around him. Consistently good over multiple years. Getting pick 13 in compensation helps soften the blow a bit, but it is unrealistic to think they will just replace Buck with a guy as good, even if they use that pick on a DL.

    From a financial/ draft capital perspective I get it. Armstead’s deal I suspect while averaging up to $17M likely has some team friendly elements to it, including pushing some money to later years. I think the expectation of the team was Buck would probably hold out without a new contract, and would have been hard to fit the guarantees he is after in a team friendly deal while hard up against the cap. Tbh, that is probably the main reason this has happened – salary cap.

    I would have liked more than pick 13 in return though.

    1. Yep, Buckner wanted to be the #21 million dollar man. He’s not worth that. More like $18 million.

    2. Yup financially it makes sense. Had no idea Buck was after Donald money. Looks like only 48M guaranteed, I’m sure it makes it easier to sign Kittle also. It makes the draft a lot more interesting. I wonder at what point they address the interior? How strong is this draft for DTs?

  17. My first reaction was disappointment. But my second reaction is a dawning realization that this is probably the right move. You can’t afford to keep everybody. This gives the 49ers so much more leverage in the draft. They could conceivably still trade back the 13 pick and get a blue chipper, they can take the best player available at 31 or trade back again…so many options… this should open up more salary cap space as well does anybody know those ramifications yet?

  19. You can’t just look at it as losing Buckner. The salary cap means you can’t keep everybody so you have to decide who to keep that also allows you to put the best team on the field possible. Buckner is better than Armstead but there’s more to it than that. They weren’t going to be able to trade Armstead for a #1 pick and they weren’t going to be able to trade him at all without putting the franchise tag on him which could have caused some major problems for them with having to release players and then find someone willing to give them something more than the 3rd they’d get as a compensatory pick for letting him walk. So here’s the two likely scenarios:

    Buckner at 21 mill per and a 3rd round comp in 2021 for losing Armstead

    or

    Armstead at 17 mill (still not sure that’s the number) and a first round pick (#13 overall) in 2020

    It’s a tough call but I think I’d have to go with option 2 due to paying less for the player and getting a high first round pick in a draft where they don’t have many picks at all. That #13 could be turned into multiple picks or could be used to land one of the stud WR’s or LT’s in this years crop. This will likely move Armstead into the middle full time and get Thomas and Jones more snaps beside him. Hurts to lose Buckner but these are the tough decisions that have to be made when it comes time to pay everybody.

  20. Wow. Good, bad, indifferent, the 9ers now have two first round picks. That should open up some interesting options.

    Can’t wait for Sebbie’s multitude of trade down scenarios. With some clever maneuvering the 9ers could end up with 32 picks in the 5th round.

    Or, maybe they select a kicker with the Colts pick…

  21. Wow, going all in on a guy that doubled his career sack numbers in one salary driven year and was Mr. Anonymous the rest of his career. Thus begins the downward spiral. If Armstead is one of those guys that is now satisfied because he got his big payday, this will be a disaster.

    Better turn the draft pick into a very significant contributor, they can’t afford to blow another 1st round pick. Assuming there is a draft anytime soon.

  22. amastead is not worth 17 mil. dee ford trade was dum they could have signed another player in free agency like one of the smiths the packers signed kept the pick. should have let amestead walk or taged and traded him. buckner is a all pro and great locker room guy while other teams got 2 first for lesser or equal players the crack head john lynch got 1 mid first round pick

    1. All you have to do, bud, is convince an owner to give you a GM job and you can show the world how brilliant you are. Until then you’re just spitting on the windward rail.

    3. its dumb smart guy! D-U-M-B……not dum! At least Lynch can spell the freakin word dumb………

  23. Not a good move. Getting a first yes but traded our best defense player other than Bosa and just for 1 pick only, then sign an injury prone player to almost same amount of money. I would of traded arik for what ever i got. Might be a team friendly deal but hes not worth 85 million. If it was like 50 then ok. Maybe they sign Aldon Smith to wear number 99

  24. i hate the salary cap.I long for the Eddie years when you could have whoever you could afford

  25. Buckner will be missed. This may also affect the progress of Bosa who could face a lot more double teams. I would have traded Dee Ford who can’t seem to stay on the field and saved cap space there.

  26. Apparently the 49ers now have 20 million in cap space. This deal makes so much sense in the modern NFL. Add the 13th pick in the first round, sign AA to a team friendly deal which is 4 million a year cheaper than what DeFo got from Indy and subtracting DeFos cap hit we have 20 million to spend now.

  27. Financially, the trading of Buckner makes a good amount of sense because the 49ers were able to bring back Armstead, who is a great fit for the Wide 9, and they now have the room to bring back Ward or Sanders if they want to. The second first round pick is also a boon because the team can add two low-cost rookies to their juggernaut or use them to acquire more picks.
    Personally though, I hate the trading of Buckner and signing of Armstead because it feels like the 49ers traded less for more. Armstead has experienced only one good season, while Buckner has always been the constant of a defense that went from a laughing stock to one of the best. The stats did not always show up, but Buckner was almost always someone that opposing offenses always had to think about.

    1. Based on the amount of snaps, Buckner could be closer to his ceiling than Armstead.

          1. Not for me. The move has opened a gaping hole along the DL that needs to be plugged now.

            1. A gaping hole? We still have four 1st round picks up front. Gotta spread the wealth. #13 does just that.

              3. You and I have been saying that Thomas needs to have more snaps at DT in order to meet his potential, so we will see what happens.

  28. still processing the trade…..more i think about it….more i like it.
    its been mentioned that AA had his best year in a contract year…..
    but it hasn’t been mentioned that DB had his poorest year last year…..while everyone else excelled!!!
    so im not sure what to make of it. DB might have had the worst stats on a dominant Dline!!!!! So combine that with the fact he refused to resign for anything less than Aron Donald $$…… .

    1. ODBJ sorry AF! but when you factor in how much $$ he makes……hes even worse! MAYBE the 31st pick……but id still pass! we dont need his drama! Hes like a little girl

      1. J
        Agree on OBJ. Bad chemistry, don’t want him!

        DB had his poorest year, but was also the player the other team double teamed the most and the D player the opposition wanted to account for and take out of the game. Between the 2, he had the better trade value.
        AA played his best (most sacks), when Ford played, allowing AA one on one match ups. And he wasn’t demanding an Aaron Donald salary.

        1. Geep :) i agree with what you say….except for the salary demand. Iet me clarify, 20 Mil. a year or more is ” AD Money” i believe only Donald and Mack make 20+mil$ a year….Donald 22 or 23……and Buck got $21. I read multiple outlets reporting that we tried hard to extend him…..but he wasnt taking anything less than a hair under donald. The gap between the 2 is much greater than 1-2 million bucks a year IMO.
          i posted exact #s if you scroll down but Buckenr had 28.4 sacks in about 63 games….less than 2 sacksevery 4 games on average….

          AD has 72 sacks in 94 games!!!! thats over 3 sacks every 4 games, big difference!
          also, AA can play DE and DT……..Buckner only plays DT……so AA has multi position value…..and….our depth is DT! All the youngsters, most of whom got hurt, Blair, Street, Moore, Jones…….all play DT.

          1. J
            I don’t disagree with you! My point was Buckner was asking for more than the 9er could afford to pay and still afford to keep one of the two, plus have the cap space to keep other player(s) (Kittle), they want to resign.

  30. Here’s the question everyone should be asking . Does this move help them get back to the super bowl , the answer , hell no !

    1. That question can’t be answered yet. They have some money to spend and now have two first round picks. Ask that question after the draft.

    2. NYNINER
      Would the 9ers get back to the SB paying Buckner $21 Mil. and trading Armstead for a 2nd, maybe 3rd RD draft pick? The FO can’t afford both and still resign Kittle, Plus losing Ward and Sanders as salary cap victims? I don’t see the FO resigning Ward, but they’ll still need a WR to replace Sander, another CB and someone to replace Armstead. IMO, Tomas is not a replacement for Armstrong,

      1. Yeah, but the team is not a better team post-Buckner. Doesn’t matter who they pick at 13.

        1. To be clear, I’m not saying whomever we pick at 13 will never be a Buckner-tier player. I’m saying in the immediate term, he won’t have all the tangibles developed etc. If it’s Super Bowl or bust, I don’t see how this helps get them there next year.

  32. For those of you saying the 49ers should have traded Ford instead, there are a couple of reasons why that wasn’t happening. The first reason is that the return for Ford would have been less – far less most likely – due to his injuries from last season. The second reason is that the DLine with Ford was far more disruptive in the pass rush than it was without him. Even in the limited time he played, the effect he had was tremendous. We’ll have to wait and see if Ford can stay relatively healthy next year but if he can, the pass rush will still be one of the better ones in the league. Where they will miss Buckner the most is eating double teams and still getting a push up the middle. He’s a great player but you have to sacrifice a great player for a better overall roster sometimes and that is what the 9ers are counting on by making this move.

  33. As much as I like buckner, this is the right move for the 49ers. If Chris Jones gets traded, we will get a better idea on how much compensation they really could have gotten. In a perfect world, I would have loved to keep Buckner and move on from Armstead, but keeping Armstead is more prudent. Armstead’s deal is likely heavily incentive laden and team friendly given that he has just 1 year of production. Buckner is too decorated a player to have a team friendly deal. In today’s NFL, paying a defensive player not named Aaron Donald 20+ million is just not prudent. The draft pick compensation is also probably much less with Armstead.

    The rules favor the offense too much which does not allow a defensive player to really dominate the game. As good as Khalil Mack is, we have seen enough games where he is neutralized. When I guy is paid 20 million dollars he needs to dominate every game like Donald. On another note, I do think as 49ers fans we have overrated Buckner just a tad. While buckner has been consistently solid, I always felt that he was not as dominant as some other non donald d tackles. Over Buckner’s career, I have seen Fletcher Cox, Geno Atkins, Gerald McCoy, Grady Jarrett, Chris Jones, and Ndamukong Suh all look more dominant then him in individual games. We can argue all day whether Buckner is definitively better than those guys, but the point is that Buckner is one of the best d tackles in the NFL rather than the best.

    Looking forward for the 49ers I think this move gives them great flexibility in the draft and their cap moving forward. These decisions have to be made if they want have sustained long term success. Remember, Bill Belichick traded Chandler Jones for just a second round pick. The niners can now look to strengthen either their secondary or their interior o line. Two glaring weaknesses that made them lose games last year. Or we can get one of the 3 big time stud receivers in this draft.

    On a side-note, I have seen a lot the Garoppolo bashing over the last 2 months or so, and it is sad. To be totally honest I am not sure that I am sold on Jimmy G yet, but I would like to have the opportunity to find out. I like somethings and I dislike somethings, but I feel like we need to see more before a judgement is passed. I have seen the stupid arguments pushed out by idiots like Cohn. Just remember niners fans, Cohn is always wrong. He was wrong about every prediction he has made, and he has not reported one thing in his life. Daddy got him a job, but he is not succeeding at it. Jimmy was the reason we won a lot last year. Do not forget how we were once again crippled by injuries. By hook or crook, we won with Dante Pettis and goodwin starting, We won with brunskill and skule starting. We won without Kittle and without Kyle J. We won without Kwon and Dee Ford. There is something intangibly there with Jimmy that creates a winning environment, and I think thats why Belichick saw him as special. Hopefully other parts of his game develop.

    Sorry for the long post niners fans. Lets hope for a good 2020! Stay safe!

      1. “Bad” Grant
        I agree. Maybe not “bashing.” JG, but dissing him. Claiming the 9er FO / Shanahan wanted to replace him with either Cousins, or Brady was never going to happen.
        Not replacing JG also tell me Jed is letting the adults in the FO make the decisions.

      1. Not likely, considering he can’t hold up in the run game on the inside. Possibly on passing downs but when healthy Blair is better. I hope he is brought back.

    2. Leo N
      With Buckner gone, Thomas provides rotation value….I think 9ers keep him if he’s willing to renegotiate his salary.
      If not, trade him for what ever they can get for him (if someone is willing to accept his $$4,394,235 Mil. Salary).

    1. Yep. Less than half the money guaranteed and biggest numbers are on the back end. Great contract for the team and far less money than they would have had to guarantee to Buckner. I hate losing Buckner but the more I look at this the more I understand why they did it, and if they play it right they could wind up with a better roster overall than they would have had if they had kept Buckner and signed a massive deal with him.

    2. Pretty sure SB can only be pro-rated over 5 years, so Lombardi’s 2020 cap hit is slightly off I believe, but yeah, that deal makes sense for the 49ers.

      1. Looks like they did some jiggery pokery – 6th year is a voidable year purely for amortising the SB, and SB doesn’t kick in fully in 2020 in order to get some of the five years of amortising into the 6th year.

          2. Careful, you will ruin Seb’s belief that Paraag is in charge of everything that’s wrong with SF.

      2. Yeppers. I had a feeling these moves would make a lot more sense once Armstead’s contract details emerged. Paraag Marathe’s ability to structure beneficial contracts may be unmatched among NFL executives.

    4. the theme i sensed ( from JP’s twitter link) is that AA was willing to give us the hometown discount …he wanted to stay, he wanted the team to have resources to add talent….

      DFB just wanted as much $$$$ as he could get! Every last penny! For a guy nowhere near as good as Donald…..they sure got close to Donald money!!!!!

      Im starting to love the deal!!! Buckner didnt fit the mentality of many on that team…..most put the team first!

      I mean….once you exceed $100 mil. in less than a 10 year stretch of your life…….what else do you want???? i’d rather play in the Bay Area and compete for a SB every year than play for the stinking Colts hoping to break .500 every year!!!!! But thats just me

  36. Wow. Big move. However, I like it. Now the Niners have draft capital to move back.
    .
    Losing Buckner is hard, but he is happy. He is going to get 21 mil, something the Niners could not match, which the Colts were willing to pay. From a salary cap perspective, now they have money to retain some Niner free agents and extend Kittle. Maybe a decent FA that fills a need can now be signed. The good thing is that now, good FAs will want to sign with a SB team.
    .
    The Niners traded away a player before he hit free agency, and the Number 13 pick is looking like a huge gold nugget. That pick may propel them back to the SB. This is similar to the Chandler Jones trade, when BB traded Jones for Cooper and 2 draft picks that ended up being Joe Thuney and Malcolm Mitchell. Thuney alone is good enough to declare that trade a win/win for both sides because they just franchise tagged him.
    .
    I am sorry to see Buckner go, but am resigned to him moving on and getting max dollars. This is clearly his decision. This is much better than having a disgruntled player who wants to be paid more, instead of having his salary lowered. It is an economic decision, and I wish him well.
    .
    I had just put up a mock where the Niners traded away a D lineman and Tevin Coleman or a first round pick. However, that was to Miami, and only garnered the 26th pick. This 13th pick is twice better. I am glad JL is being bold, shrewd and decisive. I hope he makes some more trades, and gets even more picks. Mike Person, Tevin Coleman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis and Mark Nzeocha may all be good trade candidates.
    .
    I have not watched Grant yet, but need to work, and will watch this evening
    .
    Prime and Cassie, I think a new mock is needed. The opportunities are golden. Who can they trade back with?
    .
    I do not think they will get Jeudy, because Gruden is picking 12th, so a trade back may help garner a boat load of picks, and they still will get an elite player even if they move back 6 or 9 spots. I do not want them to draft Ruggs. They already have Goodwin, who can run a 4.27 second forty. Maybe an O lineman will fall in their laps, or a CB, Safety or D lineman. If they stay at 13, they may be able to get Cee Dee Lamb, Mekhi Becton, Javon Kinlaw, Klavon Chaisson or Andrew Thomas. They are all ranked around 13.
    .

  37. 72 sacks in 94 games – Aaron Donald

    28.5 sacks in 63 games Deforest Buckner

    so yea, im ok with the trade!!! DeFo isnt worth AD money at all!! Not even close!

    Hes gone because he chose not to accept any offers ( im assuming they had discussions going back to last off season) that weren’t ” AD money” . The rumors must have been true…..

    AD getting over 3 sacks every 4 games….
    DB getting less than 2 every 4 games…….they are not the same….NOT EVEN CLOSE!

    And AD does that alone!! little to no help…..DB had 7.5 on that stacked Dline last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Well, I’ve shown my cards for a couple of years …about the “twin towers” and what they’ve meant to the Niners Dline. but there’s always someone to throw crap with “Buckner was handling double-teams this year while Armstead excelled”….never mind that in 2018, it was Armstead handling double-teams while Buckner excelled…Before long it’ll be ” Bosa excelled because so-n-so was taking on double teams”…Face it, We (niner faithful) just had one hell of a successful season, and now we pay the piper by having to give up one of our STUDS….Maybe we’re too spoiled to really deserve a great team….? We DO have some classic BITCHERS AND MOANERS though….

  38. In 4 years, Buckner has played 3,547 snaps. That’s a lotta miles. That GM god, Chris Ballard got taken to the cleaners by Lynch. Not only did he take their #13th overall pick, but he made them pay $21 million a year for the rights to a DT that’s not even on the same level as a Donald….

    1. Razor
      Did anyone listen to Grant’s take on trading Buckner? Lynch / 9ers should have received 2 first round draft picks?

      1. Yea, and if Lynch would have gotten 2 first round picks, Grant would have said they should’ve gotten 3.

        1. Considering there are 3dts that could be as good as Defo next year… I think hes overvalued what teams would be willing to give up for him.

      2. GEEP, maybe they could have gotten 2 picks in the 20’s…….but preferred the 13th pick THIS YEAR! Its a deep draft and maybe they really like the possibilities at 13

        1. j
          My comment to Razor: I was being sarcastic about Grant claiming Lynch failed because he only got pick, #13 from the Colts for Buckner. Grant claimed, in his last podcast, lynch should have received at least two first round draft picks.
          * As much as I like Buckner, theres’s no disagreement on my part, about AD being worth more than Buckner.

    2. ” not on the same level of Donald” i couldn’t agree more razor! And that is the key for me. I wasn’t sure about the trade at first… so i dug up some numbers……. and AD had like 43.5 MORE SACKS IN ONLY 21 MORE GAMES i believe it is. Buck was worth about 17-18 mil a year and the fact that he tried strong arming us for even more rubs me the wrong way!

      1. lol you fans are so funny…….”strong arming us” – it is a business……not about feelings….

  39. It will be sad to see Buckner go due to his ability, professionalism, and character. But I agree with many on here that the Niners weren’t going to be able to get to $21 million/year for Buckner. Armstead is $6 million/year cheaper, and a mid first round pick is great value.

    Wish DeFo the best, and I have nothing but gratitude for his time as a 49er.

      1. MWD
        No surprise, I expected the 9ers would they’d resign him after naming him the swing Tackle. One year contract, to prove he’s recovered from leg surgery.

      2. Kudos Razor.

        As you know, I had my doubts. That said, did assume if the Niners did bring him back, it would be on a 1 year prove-it deal. Seems like another prudent move by the Niners’ FO, although we haven’t seen the details of Coleman’s contract just yet.

    2. MidWestDynasty

      Good news…I am anxious to see him really play

      Why the hell is Thomas still here…?

        1. Mid, Oregon- as a first round pick……Thomas contract is fully guaranteed! Were paying him his $$ weather he’s on this team or not!! He’s not a bad person….he’s not a cancer in the locker room……so there is absolutely mo benefit in cutting him! We just have to ride the contract out!
          Im pretty sure this is the last year of it. I stated a while back…..that ST, Sherman and Staley all have expiring contracts after this year….and therefore we are fine as far as the cap! Just have to make it through this off-season…..and shedding Buckner went a long way

          1. DJ Jones is more of a NT, and a darn good one. I think the Niners have been trying to deal Thomas for the last year, but haven’t found any suitors. seems like they are stuck with him for 1 more season. Like you said j, at least he’s a god guy, and well liked among his teammates and the coaching staff.

      2. Because his salary is pretty much locked in if he’s on the roster or not. He’d be gone otherwise.

        1. The team would save around $4.4 million if they did cut or trade Thomas, so his salary is not the reason.

          1. According to overthecap his dead cap number is 8,958,213 and the team would save a whopping 90,000 by cutting him. Where are your numbers coming from?

            They would need to trade him and I’m not sure there are a ton of suitors lined up to take on even 4.4 million for him given his production.

          2. They only save money if they trade him due to the way his contract is structured.

    1. Yep. You said earlier it is a team friendly deal. It is… kind of. Good for immediate cap relief. But the 49ers are stuck with him long term. He better perform.

      1. Yah, the Niners are definitely committed to Arik now for the long term, but I feel good about it. He’s young, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s been much improved ever since he underwent surgery to deal with his chronic shoulder issues. I think he has a bright future, and his ability to play at a high level both on the edge and in the interior is a big plus for the Niners’ DL.

  42. I kind of like this move and praise Lynch for not getting boxed into conventional thinking.

    I’m not down on Armstead like everyone else is. He had a very good playoffs and he’s got the physical specs to be very good.

    The trade here is Armstead and a #13 pick or only Buckner. You could trade Armstead but Buckner’s price commands a lot more!

    Enthusiastic about the future.

  43. Can’t say the trade was good or bad till we see who we take at #13 in the draft.

    2. Prime:
      Lots of good player options. Also possible the 9ers use pick #13 to trade down for players to fill needs. WR, CB, FS, Int O-line, or D-line? The 9ers now have the cap space to do what they need to do and make the 2020 draft a lot more interesting! Maybe even sign a F/A?

  44. after some thought….this is a GREAT deal! Buck tied our hands! I stated the games played vs sack #s above….and DB is nowhere near the production of AD!! Its come out now that DB wanted AD $$ PERIOD! If we were 4-12 with $75 mill. cap space…..then ok, pay the guy…..but this is a great young team! And DB’s greed could have ruined the chemistry and definitely would have hampered us financially!
    We literally get 2 for the price of 1!! We get AA and the player chosen with the 13th pick…..and the $$ DB would have commanded will cover both contracts for AA and pick 13!

    I do wish we would have gotten more picks…Mack and Ramsey were traded for more than 1 first round pick. Maybe any multi pick offers were not as attractive as 13 overall

    1. By not paying DB….the door, however slightly, is open for Joey Bosa! If both Bosa boys were to take slight home town discounts…..it could happen! And before you discount that idea…..i remind you that AA did just that! With guys like Thomas , Staley and Sherm coming ff the books next year….anything is possible! We could also move on from Ford and or Alexander by then….

      B sqaured….. 4 B ( big bad Bosa Boyz), Killer Bs…lol

  45. Hey Grant,
    Wow what a surprise move. One part of the shock is that the GM has said they would reward the people they drafted. Buckner is the real deal. Swapping him for one draft pick makes less sense. Swapping a known player for a draft potential, you look to draft guys like Buckner. We have a top d-line because of him.
    It also disappoints me that clearly the players agent is out for the most cash possible. I get it is a business but shows the players dont really care for the franchises or each other. If they did they would share the cash about a bit more amongst each other. Do they go back and draft a d-line man like Raekwon Davis from Bama? Do they get a CB and WR with the two 1s? Do they go for Staley’s replacement?

    1. According to multiple reports, the 49ers have been trying to “reward” Buckner with an extension for some time, but they couldn’t get a deal done. In the end, it seems like a a win-win for both Buckner and the Niners, and that’s OK.

  46. That’s alot for the Diva Diggs

    The Bills are sending along a first-round pick, fifth-round pick and sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Vikings as compensation for Diggs, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The Vikings are sending a 2020 seventh-round pick back to the Bills along with Diggs

      1. I’m not sure, but I could see how giving up a first pick and paying an average of $21 million per year would seem like a lot to the Colts.

        1. That’s what I was thinking… just looking at his contract, only 12/yr seems reasonable for his caliber of talent.

        2. Did we get shorted? The answer is does that pick at #13 have the leadership and production that D Fo does?
          Or do we trade down and acquire more picks who make up for what D FO brought?
          Point is these trades are never about was it a good deal till a couple years down the road.

  47. I watched Grant’s discussion, and he seems to think that the Niners could have gotten 2 first round picks for Buckner. Most were against the trade because Buckner was their best defensive player. Buckner wanted to take care of Y’all Chicken. Most were glad he was happy, and it was his decision.
    .
    I think this was a good move for the salary cap. They must be comfortable with the return of several injured linemen like DJ Jones, Kentavius Street and Ronald Blair, for them to be able to replace Buckner. With that pick, they might go for a player like Kinlaw.
    .
    However, I also think the Niners should trade back, and get several picks, which will make up for not having that second 1st round pick that Grant wants. If JL plays his cards right, he can turn the two 1st round picks into picks in the first, second, third and 4th rounds.
    .
    JL needs to assess the draft board, and remember Larry Roberts. In the 1986 draft, Bill Walsh traded back more than once, and got a boatload of picks, some of which were then used to move up to select the players they coveted. They need to target teams that want to leapfrog ahead of another team, to get the player they covet.

        1. Not sure how much of that is guaranteed.
          As Matt Barrows pointed, Vikings slapping the franchise tag on Anthony Harris probably boosted the stock of the FA safeties, and Ward was the highest ranked safety in The Athletic’s top 1000 FAs.

          1. I’m sitting here waiting for the same Scooter. $9.5 per wayyyyy too much, but I can’t see Paraag giving out that deal.
            My guess is it’s heavily incentive based.

          2. yea at this point on you have to assume Paraage wins every negotiation unless proven otherwise

  49. Grants wrong about a lot of things on his periscope first off I like Buckner but he’s NO Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack he’s a good player but not great. If Buckner was so great why has the defense been trash before this year? The Niners defense wasn’t elite till we drafted Nick Bosa and signed Dee Ford also a healthy Arik Armstead made it even that much better.

    And for your information Grant the Raiders never got a top 10 pick for Khalil Mack nor Amari Cooper there top 5 pick last year was there own for being a terrible team. This year is the last 1st round pick from the Bears and it’s 19th I think so at least get that right.

    Like I said it was never reality too keep both Armstead and Buckner this is not Madden football the 49ers will be fine as long as the heart and soul of the defense is there and that’s Nick Bosa!

  51. Rather wanted Buck to stay but it’s good value, now maybe try to trade our 32 to the Pats for Thuney if he’s willing to extend with us on a good price and our interior o-line would be better.

  52. Anyone know when they will finally decide to throw Solly from the team plane mid flight?

  53. My thoughts on this.

    – A while back, a few of us on the board were arguing if SF could bring everyone back given the salary cap situation.
    I even postulated that they might make this exact move.

    March 2, 2020 at 8:28 am
    “I have honestly wondered if SF might not entertain trading Buckner. He’s asking for a lot and could bring back a first rounder or more. Additionally this draft has some great DT’s which could replace him.”

    So to me the move makes sense, but I would not like this move if they use the pick a wr as their bust rate is way to high IMO.

    – Thomas is not Buckner’s replacement. He is too easily washed out in the run game when placed on the inside… he could occasionally fill in on passing downs when its third and very long. So Buckner will need to be replaced by a committee with a FA added or his cheaper replacement could be picked up in the draft Kinlaw, Brown or Blacklock (slight trade back with him though).

    – I will like the move if a few more moves are made with it in order to create a better roster than last year… which is still a good possibility at this point.

    1. Shoup, good call.
      .
      I thought Buckner was the best defender on the team, and they would never trade him. I was calling for Armstead to be tagged and traded.
      .
      However, I was unaware about how much Buckner wanted, and that was the reason the Niners moved him. This was Buckner’s decision, and he wanted his Chicken. They now had enough cap space to re-sign Ward.

  54. update ….

    DL Arik Armstead-Unrestricted Free Agent-Signed 5-year extension
    DB Jimmie Ward-Unrestricted Free Agent- Signed 3 year deal

    WR Kendrick Bourne-restricted free agent-second-round tender

    OL Daniel Brunskill-Exclusive Rights Free Agent-One-year tender
    TE Ross Dwelley- Exclusive Rights Free Agent-One-year tender
    CB Emmanuel Moseley-Exclusive Rights Free Agent-One-year tender
    QB Nick Mullens-Exclusive Rights Free Agent-One-year tender
    RB Jeff Wilson Jr.-Exclusive Rights Free Agent-One-year tender

    Tight end Levine Toilolo is gone….

    Rumor: 49ers to trade one of their 1st rd picks for a Vet player

  55. 105 million is a lot of trees in DeForest, the Niners had to pass. Now lets hope Arik Instead’s last season wasn’t a contract breakout year.

    Interesting synchronicity department – Niner’s wall calendar player for March: DeForest Buckner. April (Fred Warner) looks to be safe.

      2. J.P. says:
        March 17, 2020 at 7:27 am
        Prediction….Armstead will get 5.5-6.5 sacks next year if he can play 775-800 snaps
        —————————
        That’s going to be a huge IF.

        As much as I love having two first round picks this was an unfortunate move.

    1. @rib you were mia yesterday…

      Brady going to Bucs or Chargers

      am still pissed at Hopkins to cardinals…….I hear 49ers might trade for Detroit Slay

        1. He is definitely going somewhere….

          “Except when he plays us,” Kraft said, “I wish him well.”

        2. My guess is the Chargers. It would be like LeBron going to the Lakers. Brady has started up a production company, I believe, so this would fit in to his career after football.
          .
          The Chargers also have the Raiders and Broncos in the division, so that may be 4 wins. The Chargers have Bosa and Ingram, so their defense has talent.
          .
          This would help fill their new stadium, that is, if there is a season.

      2. Hopkins isn’t ready for the physical nature of the NFC WEST defenses. He will not play 16/17 games in 2020 season.

  57. “…Paraag strikes again. Signing Armstead, where you can get him under $19 million against the cap for the next two years combined? Yeah, that’s a steal. By the time Armstead’s cap number is in the $20 million’s, the salary cap will have spiked with the new TV deals expected by 2022. I’m not sure if other teams are framing deals like this, but they should be. Armstead will cost around $38 million the next three years. Buckner will cost $56 million…”

    1. Franchise tag for a safety is – $11,150,000

      Getting Ward to sign a three-year deal worth $28.5 M was a great move

    1. monty, study up on defo’s asking, the contracts each ended up with and salary cap ramifications before WTFing.

    1. Yep.

      He wants to finish in his home state and he couldn’t make it happen with SF so the Chargers make the next most sense.

  62. What if the 49ers trade one the 2020 1st rd picks and get another 2021 1st rd pick……..As much as we hate to believe it – it sounds like the 49ers were actually listening to T Brady
    – and with Buckner traded – it is obvious no one player is bigger than the team….

    Next yr is do or die for JimmyG – if he fails they package 2 2021 1st rd picks for Trevor Lawrence

  63. You dumb pharts. What do you get by posting nonsense on this website? Nobody cares about your phucking opinions – you pencil d!cks.

    Phuck the NFL
    The league fixes games and you bozos still support them

  64. How’s this scenario (I don’t think the Niners do this, not even sure I would do this, but it would be intriguing):

    Release Coleman, Breida, and revise McKinnon down to a cap hit of about $2 million (saves $7.5 million), release Marquise Goodwin (save another $3.7 million).

    Sign Robby Anderson, WR for $10 million/year (WRs become Samuel as the jack-of-all trades, Anderson as the mid to deep threat, and Bourne in the slot, with Taylor backing up, Hurd as the big receiver, and Pettis backing up Anderson).

    Use 13th pick on Jonathan Taylor, RB Wisconsin. Running backs are now Taylor, Mostert, McKinnon as receiving back, and Wilson (if you go with 4). This is the intriguing part; I know Shanahan doesn’t use the 1st round to find RBs, and that his system makes undrafted rookies serviceable, but Taylor is something…

    Use 31st pick to trade out, hopefully get early 2nd and 4th round picks.

    Early 2nd: CB Jeff Gladney, TCU (with the re-signing of Ward, it makes Jeremy Chinn unlikely despite how much I like him). Cornerbacks become Sherman, Moseley, Gladney, Witherspoon, and Williams in the slot.

    4th: Jason Strowbridge, NC (to basicallly be Armstead Two). Big DE, can slide inside to 3 tech. I don’t think Gallimore lasts to the 4th round; maybe a Rashard Lawrence, DT out of LSU if you want a backup to eventually replace Buckner?

    Or, to switch the 2nd and 4th round picks, Gallimore in the 2nd (immediately replaces Buckner) and CB Amik Robertson in the 4th (issue with Robertson is his size, but he can play) or CB Troy Pride (not a great fan, but serviceable in the 4th).

    At 13, the receivers I prefer CeeDee Lamb; Ruggs is just speed who was the 3rd guy at Alabama (per scout on The Athletic) that had specialized routes based on his speed, Jeudy is going to be Amari Cooper (special and Top 10 when he’s on, but just disappears sometimes), and Justin Jefferson is best out of the slot.

    1. CeeDee Lamb is the pick at 13……..Kshanny needs a “Julio Jones” on the team

      I can’t see them picking a CB that early……and definitely not a Safety that high with Ward signed….

      At 13 they have to pick a Day 1 starter…….CeeDee Lamb is that guy…..

    2. I had not read your post before I posted mine.
      .
      Instead of releasing players, JL should be trying to bundle them and trade them for as high a pick as possible. Singularly, they may only garner late round picks.
      .
      CeeDee Lamb may be gone before 13, and the Raiders seem to be mocking Jeudy a lot, from all the mocks I have studied. I think Tee Higgins might last to 21. Justin Jefferson may also be a good WR candidate, but not at 13.
      .
      I do not think they should make a RB a first round pick in the draft. KS likes to find late round gems, and Mostert, Wilson and Breida were all UDFAs. However, I selected AJ Dillon, because he weighs 247 lbs yet ran a 4.53 forty. He would be a good big back that can run between the tackles. Rashard Lawrence was another candidate at that spot, but I hesitated because of his knee injury history.
      .
      Glad you also presented a trade back scenario. We agreed on Neville Gallimore, Jeff Gladney and Troy Pride.

  65. Why not sign DJ reader from the Texans. 25. Benefited from Watts tutoring. Could plug and play on a rotational line.

  66. I hope the Niners manage to trade back and expand those 2 picks into 6 picks.
    .
    The Niners should target the Dolphins, with their 18th pick. Miami will want to leapfrog ahead of Dallas, who will probably go with a DB. Atlanta, who will probably target a pass rusher. Denver, who will probably draft a WR like most mocks have them do, or TB, who may go with an OT. Miami could select the BPA in any one of those 4 positions, and it would only cost them the 70th pick. They have a ton of picks, and may want to move up 5 spots to select the player they covet.
    .
    With the 18th pick, the Niners could possibly trade back with the Eagles. Both the Raiders and Jags may go with a DB or LB, so the Eagles may want to leapfrog over those 2 teams and get the player they covet. The Niners would trade back 3 spots and get the Eagles’ 21st, 103rd and 146th picks. The Eagles still have 8 picks, and can select a good WR later due to this deep WR class.
    .
    A third trade back may be with the Saints, who may want to get ahead of the Pats and select a QB, but will not include that possibility here.
    .
    There could be another trade back. The Chargers may want to leapfrog ahead of the Chiefs, back into the first round, and select a RB before the Chiefs do, which many mocks have deemed the Chiefs to do. They franchise tagged Jones, so they are not in the market for a D lineman, unless they tag and trade him. The trade back with the Chargers entail trading the 31st pick for their 37th and 112th picks. They add up exactly equal on the TVC.
    .
    With these 3 trade backs, the Niners would move back 8 and 6 spots, 14 total, and end up with 6 picks. One in the first round, one in the second round, 2 in the third round, and 2 in the 4th round. They would be well prepared to mine this deep and talented mother lode. At 21, the Niners still will be able to draft a very good player. This scenario is not set in stone. The objective was to get picks in the second, third and 4th rounds. Maybe JL can come up with alternative trade partners, and get better picks.
    .
    The Niners end up with pick numbers 21, 37, 70, 103, 112, and 146. They also have picks 156, 176, 210, 217 and 245. 11 picks in all. They could also bundle the later picks to move up in the draft, but that would probably be done during the draft.
    .
    Mock 6. Post signing and trade- Armstead and Buckner.
    .
    Using the Draftek Big Board, and trying to pick within 5 of each ranking, the Niners could select-
    .
    21- Tee Higgins WR
    37-Neville Gallimore DT
    70- Jeff Gladney CB
    103- AJ Dillon RB
    112- Larrell Murchison DT
    146- Troy Pride CB
    156- Matt Hennessy C
    176- Davion Taylor LB
    210- Joe Reed WR
    217- Mike Onwenu OG
    245- Khalil Tate QB

    1. can we make a bet – if the 49ers do not pick 1 of the players you mentioned – you stay away from posting on the blog for 3 months

      1. It is just a mock, and we do not know how it will unfold. If I hit on a player, I will certainly crow about it.
        .
        JL already did something I advocated. He traded away a player to get a pick. He even managed to get a first round pick, something that I proposed on my 5th mock.
        .
        I invite you to make a mock, too. Do not be afraid, I will not laugh at it too much. ;p

        1. Now that the Pats have lost Brady, BB may want to move up in the draft to snag one of the top remaining QBs. They could be another trade back target. Saints may want to also jump ahead to get a QB.

    1. He won’t be available until week 6 and it’ll probably week 8 before he sees a football field I’m guessing.

        1. Lol, running a straight line is a far cry from being ready. He’ll start the season on the PUP list along with Taylor and Street.

            1. I have no doubt he’ll be in camp. If he’s not on the PUP list to start the season, if it indeed begins on time, I’ll be extremely surprised….

    1. No surprise there. McKinnon indicated that he was wanting to stay no matter what, and Shanahan and Lynch have shown a willingness to keep players whom they know are putting in the effort.

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