If the Kansas City Chiefs are still far apart on a deal for absent All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, perhaps they should look to trade him. And they might be able to come away with an equally talented pass rusher in a potential deal.
San Franciso 49ers EDGE defender Nick Bosa has been away from the team, as Jones has, as he tries to secure a new contract. ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler said on Sports Center on August 26 that Bosa is seeking a contract worth “somewhere in that $30-plus million” range and rival executives expect a “massive number”, per Erin Walsh of Bleacher Report.
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Chiefs Should Pursue 49ers’ Nick Bosa Trade
Trade Proposal Swaps Chiefs DT, 49ers EDGE
Until the deal is signed and Bosa is back with the team, things remain uncertain. That should be more than enough reason for the Chiefs to at least gauge the 49ers’ interest in a swap.
Chiefs get:
– Nick Bosa
49ers get:
– Chris Jones
– Mike Danna
– 2024 first-round pick
– 2024 second-round pick
– 2025 second-round pick
– 2025 third-round-pick
Fowler adds that there is “optimism” a deal gets done, even amid the expectations of a “massive” contract for Bosa, arguably the league’s top pass rusher. And 49ers general manager John Lynch expressed his displeasure over Bosa’s lingering status, adding that he expects a swift resolution.
John Lynch expects Nick Bosa to be signed by Week 1 pic.twitter.com/hS54Ox4xFO
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 26, 2023
Bosa, 24, is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with a career-high 18.5 sacks, and is four years younger than Jones.
It’s why Lynch is so adamant about getting Bosa into camp and why Chiefs general manager Brett Veach should be willing to do what it takes to get him – short of trading Patrick Mahomes, of course.
Why the 49ers Would Accept
The 49ers probably wouldn’t want to part with the EDGE rusher, and not to the powerhouse Chiefs. San Francisco went 13-4 last season and made it to the NFC Championship game. It’s likely going to take an over-the-top offer to even keep Lynch on the phone if you’re a prospective team.
There could be an off-chance that Veach can convince Lynch the collection of assets he is offering keeps them in their window of contention, though.
San Francisco would only be shifting their greatest source of a pass rush from the outside in. Jones, 29, was a dominant force on the inside, recording 15.5 sacks last season, tied for the third most in the league, and is among the league leaders in sacks since he entered the league in 2016.
3 sacks and an INT. The game that put Nick Bosa on the map. 📍@nbsmallerbear | @49ers
📺: #SFvsCAR on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/QyzRPxjnyg pic.twitter.com/FyFchMZ9WT— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2022
The Niners also have failed Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Clellin Ferrell and their own former second-rounder, Drake Jackson, on hand. It should go without saying but neither player is near Bosa’s level.
That is also why parting with Danna, who surprised with 5.0 sacks last season, is a pittance.
It might be a pipe dream. But players like Bosa are who front offices are supposed to go after, and they rarely become available – Bosa isn’t officially.
Chiefs Have Been Bold Before
So far, the largest move of Veach’s tenure outside of Mahomes could be his decision to trade away wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Despite the criticism the move received, Kansas City went on to win another Super Bowl.
KELCE 😂@tkelce @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/5KBCIsEzmK
— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2023
They could argue, then, that they don’t even need Bosa. Or they could fortify their title window with cornerstones at arguably the game’s most important positions on both sides of the ball.
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