Why the 49ers should stand pat at the trade deadline

With the trade deadline looming at the end of October, the San Francisco 49ers have a decision to make. Without question, the Niners are a Super Bowl contender. There aren’t many cracks in the roster.

Sure, the team could upgrade along the interior offensive line, but cohesion matters the most at that position. The trio of Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, and Spencer Burford are going on a year and a half of playing together. Right tackle Colton McKivitz has had his “moments,” but so long as he’s not a turnstile, the offense will continue to move the ball.

The other popular suggestions call for the 49ers to add an edge rusher opposite of Nick Bosa to insert the final infinity stone along the defensive line or invest in a cornerback.

Neither are bad ideas. Bosa is double-teamed at an extreme rate, while Browns receiver Amari Cooper showed what a WR1 can do to the Niners secondary. But just because it’s a good idea doesn’t make it the right idea.

PFF went through some of the top contenders to determine whether they should buy, sell, or hold. They believe the 49ers should stand pat:

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: HOLD

San Francisco has a major decision looming this upcoming offseason on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and needs to add talent across their offensive line with phenom Trent Williams turning 36 in 2024. So, a big splash doesn’t make much sense. This is probably the best roster in the NFL from top to bottom, so a deal like the Christian McCaffrey acquisition at last year’s deadline may not be in the cards.

The 49ers have roughly $39.9 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. They could extend Aiyuk in the offseason and still have ample space to trade for and give a new contract to a player the caliber of Brian Burns.

There are more realistic options that exist than Burns and Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain. Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson makes sense, or adding a depth player along the offensive line. For a few days, I’ve been wondering whether a team like the Chiefs would trade for Kendrick Bourne. Why couldn’t he help the Niners?

Anyway, depth options are more feasible than swinging for the fences. The roster, as it stands, is strong enough to win a championship. But Burns sure is tempting.