When the San Francisco 49ers announced the trade that sent Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Colts for the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the negative reaction from some in the fanbase was expected.
Heading into the offseason, the consensus thought was the Niners could potentially let defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who lead the team with 10 sacks, and safety Jimmie Ward leave via free agency in order to retain Buckner’s services.
However, general manager John Lynch and Co. had a different thought process.
By signing Buckner to a contract similar to the one he eventually signed with the Colts ($21 million per season, $84 million total), the team would then have been hard-pressed to afford not only Armstead and Ward, but other important depth players as well.