49ers trade rumors: $12,000,000 WR heads to NFC Super Bowl contenders to address injury-prone offense, proposes NFL analyst

The San Francisco 49ers are in trouble right now because of the latest injury setbacks. Christian McCaffrey has not played so far because of a leg injury. Javon Hargrave is out because of a triceps tear.

But those blows are nothing compared to Brandon Aiyuk's season-ending knee injury, and head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to replace him and his production. USA Today's Jacob Camenker suggested a trade for the New York Giants' Darius Slayton, who is in the final year of his $12-million contract.

He outlines the two benefits of having the six-season veteran as follows:

• Insurance in case of injury - the teams' other top wideouts Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall have already missed games because of injury.
• Speed element that the team has been badly lacking without Aiyuk, and to a lesser extent, McCaffrey on the field

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49ers GM John Lynch believes return of injured players will give team deadline-esque boost

As of now, however, general manager John Lynch is hoping that injured stars like McCaffrey will return and bolster the 49ers in the short term. Speaking to KNBR's "Murph and Markus" show on Friday, he explained his approach to managing the roster:

“When I look at our trade deadline, I look at our IR list and say, 'If we can get those guys back, I think that’s the boost we need as much as anybody we’re going to bring in from the outside.'”

When further asked about the possibility that those players would return within the season, he responded by sharing optimism about their return:

“Where those timelines are, I think we’re getting closer on all of them. They’re all trending in really good directions. We want to make sure that when we have them back, we have them back for good.”

Nevertheless, Lynch did not completely rule out making major trades, just as he did in the middle of 2023 by maneuvering for Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young:

“We’ll see. I think our track record has shown we’re always going to field calls, make calls [and] see what’s out there; and if we can improve our team, we will.”

The 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. Kickoff is at 8:20 PM on NBC.