No, the 49ers should not trade DeForest Buckner for Jimmy Garoppolo

The NFL trade deadline is set for October 31, and with less than a month to go, that has people talking trade ideas. The latest comes courtesy of CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. He put together a look at reasons why the New England Patriots need to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and then offered up some teams and potential offerings.

Fooch’s note: 49erFanSince1950 has a FanPost discussing this very topic.

The Patriots defense is woefully inadequate, and if they do not win a Super Bowl it will largely be because of that unit. La Canfora put together some hypothetical trade ideas, and he took to the heart the notion of, “Go big or go home.”

I'd start with the 49ers, who might not get their hands on Kirk Cousins in free agency. Why risk it on an unproven kid in the draft when you can get a groomed-and-ready Garoppolo now? DeForest Buckner or Arik Armstead (better fits in a New England 3-4) would be welcome upgrades in New England and could be the centerpiece of a deal, and their contracts are plenty trade friendly. Eric Reid would help, too.

So, umm, yea. Before we go any further, it is worth noting that his suggestions for other teams involved plenty of big names. He talked about the Los Angeles Chargers and mentioned Joey Bosa or Melvin Ingram and a run stuffer in a deal. So, clearly he thinks the Patriots would get a sizable haul in any trade.

But, let’s say we focus on the 49ers for now. Even if he Reid were healthy right now, he holds limited trade value as a player in the final year of his deal. My guess is he thinks the 49ers should deal one of Buckner or Armstead along with Reid.

If I “had” to choose one to deal between Buckner and Armstead, it would be the latter. Armstead is plenty freakish, but Buckner has turned his freak skills into serious production. It would not be entirely shocking to see the 49ers make a move with one of their plethora of defensive linemen, but I really don’t see them dealing Buckner, even for a quarterback.

The QB is the most important position, but four weeks into the season, I am comfortable saying they have a franchise cornerstone piece for their defense in DeForest Buckner. He is not piling up sack totals, but he leads the NFL in pressures by a defensive tackle. He is bringing the heat, and as the line improves, the sacks will come. But in the meantime, he is a beast out there. He is a young centerpiece you build around.

I get that the quarterback position is generally the most important for a football team, but could the Patriots really get these kinds of cornerstone players for Jimmy Garoppolo?