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Sakamoto: 49ers trade TE Vance McDonald and 5th round pick to Steelers

It’s becoming clear. The San Francisco 49ers new regime wants their hand selected players. As a result, the team traded away 2013 second-round pick (No. 55) TE Vance McDonald to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Former 49ers GM Trent Baalke drafted McDonald hoping he would solidify depth at the tight-end position.

That never came to fruition.

#49ers could've drafted 2x Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce. They opted for McDonald instead. To date, Kelce has 224 catches for 2,862 yards & 14 TD

— Ryan Sakamoto (@BEASTwriter_) August 29, 2017

What exactly did Baalke see in McDonald coming out of Rice University?