Sportsnaut
Even without Brock Purdy in the lineup for two games, the San Francisco 49ers are off to a strong start at 3-1. Sometimes we see teams that start fast make an aggressive move aimed at improving their chances to advance throughout the postseason. 49ers general manager John Lynch is no stranger to big trades, like going after Christian McCaffrey.
Of course, there’s a lot of time between now and the NFL’s trade deadline, which arrives after Week 9, on a Tuesday. That’s plenty of time to not only identify the 49ers’ biggest weaknesses, but also to try and do something about them.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tossed out the idea of the 49ers making a play for All-Pro Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals are sitting at 2-2, and they won’t be getting Joe Burrow back until mid-December, at the earliest. They’ve already lost two in a row with Jake Browning. If that downward spiral continues, then who’s to say a Hendrickson trade wouldn’t be in play?
He already requested a trade this past offseason after he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. Of course, that was before the Bengals ponied up and signed Hendrickson to a one-year, $29 million contract. Yet, since he’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, maybe the Bengals would prefer to get something of value for the four-time Pro Bowler rather than let him leave for nothing.
If so, then a potential playoff contender like the 49ers could make a lot of sense as a trade destination for Hendrickson. Not only would he help elevate a defense that already features Nick Bosa, the Bengals would sleep better by sending him to the NFC rather than competing directly with him in the AFC.
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