With the trade deadline on Tuesday, NFL teams will have to decide whether to buy, sell, or stand pat. Those roles are clearly defined for teams like the 7-2 Washington Commanders or the 2-6 Carolina Panthers.
But for the 4-4 San Francisco 49ers, there’s a case to be made for either of the three. San Francisco could be buyers, with a few spots that could use attention – pass rush, offensive line, and wide receiver, for example – and the .500 start could have the Niners looking for improvements.
The returns of Christian McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw could be viewed as a “trade” of sorts, with neither star playing this season but expected to return shortly after the trade deadline.