The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season last weekend, falling to the Cleveland Browns by a score of 19-17 in a listless effort.
Still, in spite of the defeat, the 49ers may very well be the best team in the NFL.
However, just because San Francisco is pretty loaded does not mean that the club can’t make noticeable improvement between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Rohan Chakravarthi of SB Nation has put together a list of five names the Niners could potentially pursue before the end of the month, and some of the names are beyond tantalizing.
The list includes Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns, Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Andre Dillard, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd and Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaair Elam.
Obviously, Burns is the most intriguing player of that group.
The 25-year-old is in his fifth season with the Carolina Panthers and is slated to hit free agency after the season. Through six games this year, Burns has logged 20 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble. He is coming off of a 2022 campaign in which he racked up 63 tackles, 12.5 sacks and a forced fumble en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The Panthers were unable to reach a long-term agreement with Burns prior to the season. The star pass rusher is apparently seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $26-28 million annually, a price Carolina appears unwilling to pay. As a result, the 0-6 Panthers may end up trading Burns over the next couple of weeks.
Johnson is probably the second-most interesting name, as the 1-5 Bears may move the impending free agent in order to recoup some value for him now before potentially losing him for nothing in the spring.
The 49ers will take on the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
