Why would the 49ers trade DeForest Buckner to the Colts knowing he was this productive?
The Indianapolis Colts made splash this offseason when they traded their No. 13 overall pick in the NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. Shortly after acquiring him, the former Oregon star was signed to a huge contract extension that keeps him in Indy through 2024.
Right when the Colts did that, we KNEW the 49ers made a mistake trading Buckner. When you look at San Fran’s cap situation, you can see why this maybe had to be done, but that’s the only excuse. And if they didn’t think they could solve the financials, well, then that’s their loss.
The Colts got themselves a stud who’s going to help make Indy’s front-seven the best in football.
Most Sacks in the NFL since 2016
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 14, 2020
(Among Defensive Tackles)
1. Aaron Donald 52
2. Chris Jones 33
3. Geno Atkins 32.5
4. DeForest Buckner 28.5
5. Fletcher Cox 26 pic.twitter.com/Ly28T83upK
Aaron Donald is far and away best at getting to the quarterback over that span, but look at Buckner! He’s up there with Chris Jones, Geno Atkins and Fletcher Cox, all of whom are among the league’s top defensive linemen. Jones just signed a monster extension with the Chiefs; Atkins earned his fat payday two years ago; and Cox is the highest-paid player on the Eagles.
Nick Bosa is undoubtedly the future in San Fran, but how can you opt to keep Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead over Buckner? Thomas has six total sacks in three seasons and Armstead had 19 across five — 10 of which came last year.
On the surface, this seems like a miscalculation by the 49ers and John Lynch, and a stroke of genius from Colts general manager Chris Ballard.
Through trades, Colts GM Chris Ballard has turned his last 3 1st rounders into:
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 28, 2020
2018: LG Quenton Nelson, RT Braden Smith, DE Kemoko Turay, RB Jordan Wilkins
2019: CB Rock Ya-Sin, DE Ben Banogu, CB Marvell Tell, WR Michael Pittman, Jr. (taken in 2020)
2020: DT DeForest Buckner
San Fran used Indy’s first-round pick to select South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who’s admittedly an absolute force, but … you just pretty much traded one of the best pass rushers in the NFL for a rookie who recorded just 10 sacks across three college seasons.
In today’s NFL, if you’re paying for anything, it’s a quarterback or a pass rusher — that’s where you’re getting the best bang for your buck, which is why those players are typically the highest-paid on every team.
But because the 49ers couldn’t competently manage their surplus along the D-line, the Colts will reap the benefits for years.
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