While the San Francisco 49ers made one of the biggest moves before this year’s NFL trade deadline when they acquired star pass rusher Chase Young, the team actually attempted to make an even bigger deal for a rising superstar on defense.
To start 2023, the 49ers were a dominant force. Their defense terrorized opposing teams and Christian McCaffrey was a massive part of an offense that pushed around and ran all over opponents during a 5-0 start that had them ranked at the top of our NFL offense rankings. However, things have changed dramatically in recent weeks.
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Even before San Francisco suffered a third straight loss last week, the team was sputtering and was nowhere near as impressive on both sides of the ball. That is why there was speculation that they could be active before the trade deadline despite a talent-rich roster.
The San Francisco 49ers inquired about a potential Patrick Surtain II trade asking price
Hours before the 4 PM ET deadline, the organization pulled off one of the biggest deals of the day when they snagged one-time Pro Bowler Chase Young from the Washington Commanders for a compensatory third-round pick. On Sunday morning, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the deal was finalized after medical concerns for some teams made Washington drop their asking price for the defensive end.
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However, the Young trade only came after the 49ers attempted some even more high-profile deals. “The 49ers went big game hunting at the NFL trade deadline, checking in on the availability of Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and then-Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat, among others,” Schefter reported.
Surtain II was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2022 and is seen as one of the league’s fastest-rising cornerbacks. Johnson is another talented up-and-coming cornerback who requested to be traded out of Chicago. Sweat ended up being moved to the Bears in October and is seen as the pass rusher from the Commanders with more upside.
