49ers trade up to 3rd pick is great news for LA Rams

Runs counter to free agency strategy

The San Francisco 49ers have signed veterans for top dollar in the 2021 NFL Free Agency market. 33-year-old offensive tackle Trent Williams signed a six-year deal for over $138 million. 36-year-old offensive center Alex Mack signed a three-year deal for $14.85 million. Oh, and they were signed to block for a rookie whose name shall be unveiled in round one of the 2021 NFL Draft?

The 49ers will be dangerous in 2021. Even with trading so many picks, their 2021 NFL Draft still has nine picks and is ranked as the fourth most valuable draft picks of any NFL team. They still have plenty of firepower to round out the roster. But do they do it to win now, or to win later? Or do the 49ers even make the distinction?

They are already committed to 78 players right now, and with nine draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, they will look to sign no more than a handful of undrafted players. But this is a crazy year to be drafting. In fact, with the absence of an NFL Scouting Combine, it may be wiser to sign players after the draft to minimal contracts than to commit to uncertain rookies to four or five-year deals out of this year’s draft.

Bringing in their next-generation starter in 2021 has Trey Lance written all over it. Getting him into the 49ers system, coaching him up as the next Robert Griffin III with a steady guiding hand to mete out his development over the course of a full season may not be a bad idea at all. In fact, if the 49ers do this wisely, they can stockpile the deep WRs available this year to come on board when Lance is ready to do so in a year or two.

But that is awfully difficult to pull off in the NFL. Stashing one or two players for future use is tough with a 53-man roster that must ensure all positions have sufficient depth to last a long NFL season.

The San Francisco 49ers may have just shifted from a short game of winning in 2021 to a long game of winning into the future. But that comes with risk. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan knows all too well what happens if the team trades up in the NFL Draft for the wrong quarterback. He knows what could happen, but he is doing it anyway.