John Lynch didn’t stop spending when the calendar flipped. The 49ers signed Mike Evans, added Christian Kirk, swapped in Osa Odighizuwa, and patched up the secondary with Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones. Then they drafted more. The roster is legitimately deep, maybe the deepest in the NFC. That’s the good news.
The other side of that coin is that Lynch now has logjams he didn’t have in January. Certain guys are going to get squeezed out by sheer numbers. Not because they can’t play. Because there aren’t enough snaps or dollars to go around. Here are three names that could get moved before Week 1 or maybe by the trade deadline.
Brandon Aiyuk
The relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers feels like it’s done. Not in a dramatic, locker-room-blowup way. More like two parties who’ve realized they want different things and neither side is willing to budge. The contract standoff from last year never really healed. And now San Francisco has moved on in every practical sense.
Evans gives them a big-bodied outside threat. Kirk works underneath. Ricky Pearsall is ready for a bigger role after developing nicely. Jauan Jennings is still there. That’s four wide receivers who can play. Aiyuk is the most talented of the bunch but also the one who isn’t fully checked in.
There’s no formal agent for Aiyuk right now, which complicates any trade. But if a contender loses a receiver in training camp and comes calling with a first-round pick or a starting offensive lineman, Lynch has to think hard about it. Keeping a disengaged star around just because he’s good on paper doesn’t help anyone.
Mac Jones
Backup quarterbacks are boring until they aren’t. Jones played well enough last year during Purdy’s absence that teams around the league took notice. He showed he can still win games in the right situation. That’s a valuable commodity in a league where starting quarterbacks get hurt every single September.
The 49ers have Kurtis Rourke and Adrian Martinez developing behind Jones. Neither is ready to start a playoff game tomorrow, but both are cheap and young. If a contender loses its QB in camp and panic-bids for Jones, Lynch could flip him for a veteran offensive lineman or a second-round pick. San Francisco’s offensive line still has question marks. That’s a pretty easy trade to justify.
Jordan James
The running back room in San Francisco is stacked. Christian McCaffrey is still the headliner when healthy. Isaac Guerendo has earned more carries. Kaelon Black has turned heads internally. Jordan James is a solid, reliable back who could start for several teams in this league. He’s just buried on the depth chart.
James has everything you want from a rotation back. He’s durable, can pass protect, catches the ball well enough. But there aren’t enough touches to go around in Shanahan’s offense. If James shows out in the preseason, some team will inevitably lose a running back to injury and come looking for help. Lynch can cash that chip in for a late-round pick or a player at a thinner position.
None of these guys have to be traded. Aiyuk could wake up tomorrow and decide to be a professional for one more season. Jones could be the best backup insurance policy in football. James could get his chance if McCaffrey misses time. But the 49ers didn’t build this roster to stand still. If the right offer comes in, don’t be surprised if Lynch pulls the trigger.
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