49ers can kill 2 birds with 1 stone via this simple trade at deadline
The 49ers might need to cut their losses with Jauan Jennings more and more likely to depart. Could a reclaimation project give the Niners a chance to solve a second problem via a trade?
It's not exactly the most surprising thing to see wide receiver Jauan Jennings listed on the trade block for the San Francisco 49ers. Jennings has been noticeably distant from the team week after week, failing to make an impact most weeks while getting into arguments on the sidelines.
The writing is seemingly on the wall that Jennings is not going to be a 49er beyond this season, so San Francisco may as well get something for him.
The New York Giants have been a team often mooted in hypotheticals given their interest in Jennings as a reliable veteran option for their young offense, with young EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux mooted as a replacement (including from this website).
A EDGE seems more and more unlikely, however, given the 49ers are taking a swing at a reclaimation project in former Patriot Keion White, but what about another Giant who could be a reclaimation project also while potentially filling the top offensive need of the team?
Former No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal is on the outer in East Rutherford, being a healthy scratch for the team as the G-Men look to go into a different direction. The talent is there, you don't become a top-10 selection otherwise, and maybe a new environment and a mentor in the generational Trent Williams could be a spark to boost his career.
Any trade for Neal himself would be minimal, while an expected trade for Jennings calculated to be not too significant, but definitely a bit more than what the Giants could get for Neal, according to
The Niners could get a little bit more, given Cohn's famously pessimistic nature at times, but maybe the 49ers can trade players with New York as well as boost their draft hand for the 2026 NFL Draft next year, too, like so:
Neal might be a reclaimation project, but the 49ers can afford to give essentially a very late Day 3 pick to the G-Men for someone they're not using anyway. For the Giants, a Day 3 pick is a fair deal for a guy who will be their second wide receiver on the depth chart most likely after Malik Nabers returns from injury.
It's not a superstar trade, but it's a swing that could potentially give the Niners a chance to find their successor (and at worst, a depth piece) at left tackle as well as improve their hand when it comes to draft day.
J.J. McCarthy to start for Vikings at quarterback vs. Lions
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For the first time since mid-September, young quarterback J.J. McCarthy will start for the Minnesota Vikings. His high-ankle sprain is healed. His lower-body mechanics have been troubleshot. He’ll be under center Sunday and at the controls when the team matches up with the Lions in Detroit.
“I feel like myself again,” McCarthy said earlier this week. “I feel like I have those mobility things (fixed) that I was concerned about going into last week and prior weeks.”
McCarthy suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. The team’s medical staff cleared him to return to play, though his accuracy waned down the stretch of the game. The following afternoon, head coach Kevin O’Connell informed reporters that McCarthy would be sidelined due to the injury.
Minnesota did not place McCarthy on injured reserve, opting instead to avoid setting a definitive timeline for his return. He traveled with the team for its two-week stint in Europe, where the Vikings played the Steelers in Dublin and the Browns in London. The Vikings planned for him to first practice in London, but the weather and field conditions delayed his activity. During the ensuing bye week, O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown observed workouts. Footwork and eye placement were the focuses. McCarthy was not unloading the ball quickly enough in his first two games, and O’Connell believed that removing excess movement in his lower half would allow McCarthy to play more on time.
O’Connell has deemed McCarthy as “an accurate passer.” This weekend’s contest will put that skill to the test. The Lions don’t run from playing man coverage. They’ve used it at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. That type of coverage can test tight-window throws, which offensive coordinator Wes Phillips discussed Thursday.
“We’re going to have to make some accurate passes,” Phillips said, “and protection-wise, (we’re going to have to make sure) we’re in the right calls.”
No segment of the Vikings has disappointed more than the team’s front. Injuries have played a role. According to Next Gen Stats, the Vikings have played 12 unique offensive line combinations at least 10 snaps together, which is three more than the next closest team. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who is now more than a year removed from a torn ACL and MCL, only played nine snaps last week in Los Angeles. He’s questionable for Sunday, as is right tackle Brian O’Neill, who missed last week’s game with soreness in his left knee. With left guard Donovan Jackson and right guard Will Fries both in the fold, the Vikings could have the most advantageous offensive line that they’ve had since the beginning of the season.
