San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch played his cards carefully at the start of free agency this offseason, electing to trade away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That was preceded by the Niners re-signing defensive end Arik Armstead, and the money made available by the Buckner trade allowed this to happen as well as San Francisco being able to re-sign safety Jimmie Ward.
Retaining Ward eliminates what would have been a huge need for Lynch and the 49ers defense in the upcoming draft.