The future, or at least the immediate future, may be bright for the San Francisco 49ers, but there is a move or two they recently made that may turn out to be problematic.
They traded three high draft picks for quarterback Trey Lance nearly two years ago, as well as considerable draft capital for star running back Christian McCaffrey in October.
Some fans and pundits are starting to feel like one or both trades were blunders.
How do the 49ers continue to get a free pass?
Imagine response if the Rams traded for Stafford/Von Miller and hadn't won the Super Bowl?
49ers traded three 1sts and a 3rd for Trey Lance (4 career starts) and a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th for CMC with ZERO trophies to show for it.
— Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakDTR) February 16, 2023
There is a legitimate argument to make that the Lance trade may have been a mistake, although it’s too early to definitively say so.
The QB has made only four starts in two seasons, and he hasn’t amounted to much, if anything, so far.
Lance played only slightly more than one year of college football at North Dakota State University, so it could simply be a matter of him needing to gain organized football experience in order to become whatever he will become.
It is impossible to say right now whether he will become a bust or a good player, and of course, the emergence of Brock Purdy, the last player taken in the 2022 draft, has made Lance expendable in the eyes of some.
It is too early to fully judge the McCaffrey trade, but so far, it is looking like it was worth the investment.
In 11 regular season games with the 49ers this year, he had a total of 1,210 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, and he transformed them from a mediocre offensive team to one of the more potent ones on that side of the football.
Of course, it’s possible that Purdy’s torn UCL in his elbow was the one thing separating San Francisco from its sixth Super Bowl championship, in which case no one should be criticizing the McCaffrey trade.
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The grade on the Trey Lance trade is still incomplete. The CMC trade I was worried about his health, but after watching how he transformed the offense this year, it was worth the cost. They may well have had that Lombardi trophy if not for Purdy’s injury, so you can’t dismiss a trade like that because you didn’t walk away with one.
CMC was a great trade. He is a game changer. I would make that trade all day long. Trey lance was a HUGE mistake. He has the althletic tools no doubt. But his weakness is between the ears. He is quick to leave the pocket because he starts to panic. He is not Joe cool. Purdy on the other hand is cool calm and collected. Just like the goat Joe Montana. Plus Purdy is quick, which is what you need to get out of trouble. He is not fast but he is quick, and I will take that all day long. Where the niners are weakest is the offensive line. QB’s running for their life all the time.
I agree 100%