NFL News: 49ers Trade DeForest Buckner To The Colts For First-Round Pick

The San Francisco 49ers pulled off two blockbuster moves on Monday, the start of the NFL’s legal free-agent tampering period.

San Francisco announced that it has re-signed star defensive lineman Arik Armstead. The deal is said to be worth up to $85 million over five seasons.

Hours later, multiple reports surfaced that San Francisco has traded Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Said selection is 13th overall. It will lead to further speculation that San Francisco is bound to use one of its now two first-round picks to upgrade at wide receiver via a trade.

The Buckner trade is absolutely shocking in that he was voted as the team MVP last season. A Pro Bowler back in 2018, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Buckner has recorded 34 quarterback hits and 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

Indianapolis ultimately signed Buckner to a five-year extension that will pay him $21 million annually, making the youngster the second highest-paid interior linemen in the NFL behind Aaron Donald.

As for the 49ers, it became clear that they could not afford Buckner’s asking price after re-signing Armstead. San Francisco is already up against the cap. Exhausting nearly $40 million on two defensive linemen made no real sense.

With Buckner out of the mix, San Francisco will rely on a combination of D.J. Jones, Julian Taylor and Solomon Thomas to hold down the fort.

Then again, defensive tackle becomes somewhat of a need heading into free agency and the NFL Draft season. Could the 49ers look to address that area?

This trade will also lend credence to the idea that San Francisco will look to use the limited cap room it has and a first-round pick to upgrade at wide receiver. Stefon Diggs and Odell Beckham Jr. come to mind first.

That could become even more prevalent should impending free agent Emmanuel Sanders leave the defending NFC champs once the market officially opens.

Stay tuned. This promises to be the start of a really interesting offseason in Santa Clara. It’s only the first shoe to drop.