Most around the NFL are viewing the San Francisco 49ers as buyers for the upcoming trade deadline. However, with a roster in a bit of a reset, the team could swing a deal if the right offer came their way. Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of the Athletic went through five realistic trades, and while most of them did have the 49ers buying, one of them was an interesting selling idea. 

The 49ers would trade starting safety Ji’Ayir Brown for a Day 3 pick. 

What could the 49ers get for Brown? Probably nothing more than a Day 3 pick. That, however, might interest the 49ers, considering how few late-round selections they have in the upcoming draft. A sixth-rounder, for example, could help them trade for an edge rusher. Or perhaps Brown could be used directly in a trade. Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was San Francisco’s defensive coordinator when the 49ers drafted Brown, and he remains a fan.

– Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur

Safety is one of the few areas where the 49ers should feel comfortable. They just got Malik Mustapha back from injury, and he is their top starter. Beyond that, both Jason Pinnock and Marques Sigle started for the first five games of the season. 

Brown took over Pinnock in the last three games, and Mustapha platooned with Sigle for two weeks before taking his role last week. 

One side says that Brown took over a starting role because they do not trust the other two, and they should keep him. However, there may be a method to the madness. 

San Francisco 49er

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sigle is a sixth-round rookie who was starting to get in over his head with the amount of work he was getting. Still, he has a promising future. It is not a bad idea to reduce the snaps for three or four weeks of a late round rookie to let him catch his wind and view the game from the side. 

While he is doing that, the 49ers are able to showcase Brown, who is having a good year, but does not appear to be in the 49ers’ long-term plans. He was a starter the last two years but still came in fourth in the summer training camp competition and he is only signed for one more year. 

Brown was playing the dime role, and if he leaves, it would go to Jason Pinnock, who has spent the last three weeks working on that role. 

San Francisco can now trade Brown, who was on nobody’s radar a month ago. They can get Sigle back into the lineup after giving him two weeks of reduced snaps and two weeks of no snaps, then they can play Pinnock in the dime role. It would actually be a win for all three of the safeties, and for the 49ers, of course.

Can the 49ers pull this off, or are they too hesitant to continue to play Sigle down the stretch?

Stay tuned.