Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade to a Super Bowl-contending team.
Terrance Williams/Associated Press
The San Francisco 49ers’ disastrous trade for Trey Lance in 2021 means they can’t make a blockbuster deal for Myles Garrett in 2025. At least not if head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch plan to stay true to their long-term vision.
That will be explained in a moment, but first the news: On Monday, Garrett, 29, the Browns pass rusher who is the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, released a statement requesting a trade from Cleveland, saying he wants to leave the lowly Browns because his primary goal is to win a Super Bowl.
In response to Garrett’s announcement, the fan bases of 31 NFL teams, particularly those which harbor realistic title hopes, asked the same question: How can we get that guy?
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There are reasons to believe the 49ers could be players for the six-time All-Pro pick.
Under Shanahan and Lynch, they 49ers have emphasized building a dominant defensive line and pairing Garrett with All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa would give opposing quarterbacks cold sweats. In addition, Shanahan and Lynch are known for taking big swings when elite players become available: They surrendered a draft-pick bounty for running back Christian McCaffrey in 2022 and tried to do the same to acquire another All-Pro pass rusher, Khalil Mack, in 2018.
As far as finances, acquiring Garrett under his current contract wouldn’t be prohibitively expensive for the 49ers during an offseason in which they’re expected to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive contract extension. Garrett would come with salary cap charges of $6.3 million in 2025 and 2026 for the team that acquires him, although he’d likely want an extension before his deal expires.
So what’s the problem? As far as draft-pick capital, dealing for Garrett will cost a small fortune. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has said he wouldn’t deal Garrett even for two first-round picks and the 49ers can’t afford to make such a move after their decision to invest three first-round picks in Lance four years ago blew up in their face.
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Yes, Shanahan and Lynch eased the sting of that move for Lance by finding Purdy in the seventh round in 2022. But the trade up to select Lance at No. 3 overall, which also included parting with a third-round pick, had roster-wide consequences that showed up in this season’s 6-11 disaster. The 49ers’ diminished depth was a reason they couldn’t insulate themselves from injuries to key players and the deterioration of the bottom of the roster showed up on special teams, units whose poor performance led to the firing of coordinator Brian Schneider.
Due to the Lance trade, the 49ers had just one pick among the draft’s top 85 selections in 2022 and 2023, including none in the first round. Those drafts included 18 picks and few have made a significant impact. Six picks are no longer with the team and safety Ji’Ayir Brown is the only other player besides Purdy who has a realistic chance to start in 2025.
As a result, the 49ers have a roster loaded with older high-priced players and a small core of younger standouts.
Purdy, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are their only established franchise cornerstones who are under 27. Meanwhile, McCaffrey, Bosa, tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, left tackle Trent Williams, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk are all among the top three highest-paid players at their position. Their average age when the 49ers open the 2025 season: 31.
The 49ers did have a strong 2024 draft, netting at least three presumptive 2025 starters in guard Dominick Puni, cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha. But Lynch noted last month that they needed to continue to add productive draft picks on affordable rookie contracts to make their finances work after they fielded the NFL’s fifth-oldest roster last season.
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“The lifeblood of your organization needs to be strong drafts because it gives you young players that you have under contract,” Lynch said. “I think we’re really excited about this rookie class and that movement. We’ve got to continue to add to it.”
Lynch went on to discuss this year’s draft in which the 49ers are expected to have 10 picks, including No. 11 overall and four selections in the first three rounds. A trade for Garrett could require the 49ers to surrender much of their early round capital and would be the ultimate all-in move for 2025: Garrett’s presence could give them a boost next season and they’d worry about the likely consequences of having an aging roster and yet another draft without high-end picks later.
But that approach would fly in the face of the 49ers’ philosophy under Lynch and Shanahan. Last month, Shanahan said they’ve formed a strong partnership over their eight seasons together partly because they’ve been aligned on their long-term vision: They want to have sustained success, meaning their decisions aren’t just about the current season.
“I think whenever you think that way, you’re selling your organization short,” Shanahan said. “You’ve got to always think right now, but you’ve got to think big picture, too, which to me in football is always on a two- to three-year time frame. And I think we’ve been doing that really since we’ve been here. We’ve never fully sold out for that (one) year. But we always want to be competitive and feel like we have a chance to do that … And that’s the thought process we’re going to have every year.”
Would the chance to acquire Garrett inspire what would appear to be a change in Shanahan and Lynch’s approach? It’s possible that question won’t be answered. On Monday, after Garrett’s trade request, the Browns maintained they wouldn’t deal him.
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Of course, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Cleveland decides to entertain offers. In that case, it wouldn’t hurt the 49ers to ask. But the consequences of trading a bounty that includes multiple first-round picks for the second time in four years? The 49ers know from experience how much that could hurt.
Reach Eric Branch: [email protected]; X: @Eric_Branch
