At the trade deadline, the Dallas Cowboys remained mute. Reputable team reporters went so far as to defend the inactivity. Excuses have been made that range from “this isn’t fantasy football” to “Dallas made their moves months ago” with the acquisition of Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks.
So the 49ers from San Francisco are only participating in fantasy football? The 49ers made moves earlier in the season and proceeded to acquire Chase Young through trade.
They saw that the Commanders were in a fire sale mode following the trade of DE Montez Sweat to Chicago and seized the chance to bolster their pass rush, which is, as we all know, a critical component of winning in the postseason.
There’s no disputing that the Cowboys ought to have made a deal for Young. There are many pass rushers available to Dan Quinn. Nevertheless, the 49ers aren’t short on that front, and they didn’t let Dallas slow them down when they upgraded their roster.
To further aggravate Dallas’ situation, San Francisco upgraded at a very good price by trading Young for a 2024 third-round compensatory pick. Details of the Chase Young deal explain why the Cowboys are trailing the 49ers.
John Lynch, the general manager, is playing some 3D chess. In exchange for losing offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey to free agency, the 49ers are expected to receive a third-round compensatory pick. They are also expected to receive a third-round pick in exchange for losing former executive Ran Carthon, who is currently the general manager of the Titans, and former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who was appointed head coach of the Texans.
For Young, one of those thirds will go to Washington. However, it doesn’t stop there. The 49ers stand to gain a 2025 compensatory third-round pick from Young, who is a free agency after this season if he departs and has a strong season finale. In essence, San Francisco returned a comp pick for a half-season.
That’s how you wrangle at the trade deadline, my friends. Even though the 49ers would want to extend Young, they have already committed a considerable sum of money to improving their defensive line. In March, they signed DT Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million contract, placing Nick Bosa at the top of the defensive player wages.
That’s how you wrangle at the trade deadline, my friends. Even though the 49ers would want to extend Young, they have already committed a considerable sum of money to improving their defensive line. They established Nick Bosa as the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in March when they handed DT Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84 million contract.
With a pass-rush win percentage of 25% and 38 pressures, Young is tied for 10th in the NFL and is certain to sign a lucrative contract soon. The 49ers received a former No. 2 overall pick in the form of his career to help fuel a deep playoff run for a pick they’ll probably recoup two years later anyhow, even if he doesn’t re-sign.
Yes, the 49ers have outplayed the Cowboys physically in their last three games and perhaps have a psychological advantage over Dallas, but the real reason the Cowboys haven’t been able to shake their San Francisco demons is because of smart, bold trades like the one involving Chase Young.
