Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers traded for Keion White, but that was the extent of the 6-3 Niners’ moves ahead of the deadline. As expected, the 49ers were rumored to be in on the bidding war for New York Jets pass rusher Jermaine Johnson. The asking price of a second-round pick ended up being too steep, leading to the team standing pat with one trade.
We believe the 49ers understood who they are this season, and that was not a defense one player away from making a difference. With that in mind, let’s discuss the Winners and Losers for the 49ers from the trade deadline.
Brown is under contract through the 2026 season, but some still speculate he may be on the move after the team drafted Marques Sigle. The thought was that the Niners have a pair of box safeties, and one has to go.
That train of thought was incorrect, regardless of whether Tig was traded. At his best, Brown is playing free safety. Since taking over as a full-time starter a few weeks ago, Brown has primarily played the deep safety role for Saleh’s defense.
The closer he is to the line of scrimmage, the more chances of a missed tackle, which we’ve seen these past two weeks. However, focusing on the missed tackles and ignoring the plays Brown has made in the run or on the ball feels like cherry-picking. One play aside, Brown has done an admirable job of preventing the big play. He’s done a good job this season.
It’s one thing to lose your job to a high draft pick. For example, Robert Beal couldn’t have been upset if the team landed Jermaine Johnson, a top pick under Saleh’s tenure with the Jets. But the idea that Logan Wilson, a player who lost his spot on one of the worst defenses in the NFL, was going to come in and magically transform into a quality player was fool’s gold.
Wilson has shown little ability to cover, run, or make plays. Other than that, the Cowboys got a good one.
We’re not telling you Bethune is the next Fred Warner. He’s going to be tested this week against Sean McVay in ways he couldn’t imagine. Still, Bethune’s style of play and aggression against the run is impressive for any player, let alone a second-year seventh-rounder. There was no evidence that Wilson was an upgrade over Bethune.
In a pinch, Alfred Collins has bumped out to the edge. But that’s not where you want your 330-pound nose tackle living. “Hey Clelin, I know last week was the first time you’ve played in a month. But we’re going to double your snap count moving forward, at the very least.” – Kris Koucrek to Ferrell, probably.
It’s a numbers game, and the 49ers told us they’d rather play somebody they signed on Wednesday over Robert Beal. Ferrell won’t have a sack a game, but if he generates...
