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The San Francisco 49ers have already taken a step toward the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline after trading for DeForest Buckner. However, with the deadline just days away, can the Niners make another move to strengthen the team?
One of the names in the trade speculation talk is Los Angeles Chargers edge Khalil Mack. With the Chargers going 0-7 and the veteran pass rusher on a one-year contract, it made sense for Los Angeles to take back a draft asset.
However, that may not be the direction the Chargers front office is heading before the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones shares the latest speculation regarding Mack.
“The Chargers are the last winless team in the NFL, and they’re staring 0-8 in the face heading into Sunday’s meeting against the desperate Houston Texans,” Jones wrote in a November 7 article. “But LA has signaled to everyone that they don’t intend to trade players, even expiring contracts, like Khalil Mack.
“It confuses rival teams who want to poke at the Chargers’ corpse before Tuesday. And in looking for an excuse, several executives I spoke with specifically pointed to the head coach.”
Khalil Mack Is Perfect for the 49ers Locker Room
Mack has played 311 defensive snaps for the Chargers this season so far, leading to a 74.2 overall defensive grade in PFF. Additionally, he generated 16 total pressures, three sacks, nine hurries, four QB hits, and 11 solo tackles.
The veteran can still produce and will be a major asset for a struggling team like the 49ers. However, it will be interesting to see if the Chargers fall to 0-8, and if they finally decide to sell their veteran players and stop this stance of holding onto them.
Whether or not the Chargers decide to sell at the trade deadline, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger believes the 49ers will be one of the teams that would best suit Mack.
“Someone like Khalil Mack would fit in perfectly [the 49ers’] locker room,” Baldinger said in an appearance on Nov. 6 on 95.7 The Game. “He’s the ultimate pro. He’s just a great guy. Everybody worships Khalil Mack. Just his work ethic and the way he goes about his business. I could even see Chicago. I know they just made the deal, but before they made the deal for Simmons, I could have seen Khalil going there, and he would have gone back there in a second.
“He loved his time in Chicago. Somebody’s going to get a great player. He’s never won a playoff game. At some point, you almost owe the player. I know you can’t make playoff wins for players and things like that, but you’ve never won a playoff game.”
Niners are trying to Bring back Jauan Jennings
The Niners are making the phones before the trade deadline because they recently tried to trade for Minnesota Vikings wideout Jauan Jennings. However, that trade fell through because the player wanted to stay in Minnesota.
While talking to the media on Nov. 4, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the report that they are keen on the veteran wideout.
“The report is accurate, just not fully detailed,” Shanahan told reporters. “I mean, you can’t talk to other players on other teams. You’re not allowed.
“We love Jauan. We have such a good relationship with Jauan and know him really well and we didn’t want to do it without talking to him first. So, we had to agree on some things to at least make it close enough to talk to him.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo