49ers' Interest In Odell Beckham Jr. Makes A Ton Of Sense

The San Francisco 49ers are going to do everything possible this offseason to upgrade a roster that won just four games during the 2018 season. General manager John Lynch knows that the status quo isn't working. Building through the draft is one thing. But with what promises to be a ton of money to spend come March, San Francisco must supplement that with long-term solutions in both free agency and on the trade market.


According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that will include the team chasing after star New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in a trade.

If the Giants decide to move on from receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the 49ers could pursue him," Florio reported. "The 49ers considered it during that window last year when Beckham seemed to be available, and there’s already buzz this year that, if he’s available, the 49ers would be interested."

The Captain Obvious in us suggests that adding one of the most-skilled receivers in the game makes a ton of sense. Though, there are other aspects to this. New York inked OBJ to a record five-year, $90 million extension in August. He's set to count $21 million against the cap in 2019. That's a lot to pay a guy that's missed half of his team's games over the past two seasons with injury.

But in order to become relevant on the broader NFL stage, Lynch and Co. must take chances like this. It's why the team made a strong offer for then-Raiders star pass rusher Khalil Mack this past summer. It's also why San Francisco yielded a second-round pick to the Patriots a year ago this past Halloween to land Jimmy Garoppolo — signing him to a record contract mere months later.


The 49ers boast two elite-level young skill position guys in that of record-breaking tight end George Kittle and young receiver Dante Pettis. Some might think that building around them makes the most sense. That's certainly up for debate. Though, the idea of adding Beckham Jr. to the mix with these two would instantly turn San Francisco's offense into one of the top 10 in the league.

As noted above, these 49ers are going to have a ton of money to spend this offseason. Adding Beckham's $21 million cap hit would not hinder the team when it comes to upgrading at other areas of need. If that were the case, OBJ wouldn't even be a possibility. Even more so than wide receiver, pass rush and cornerback seem to be major needs for the 49ers. Adding Beckham wouldn't disable the team's ability to upgrade at both positions.

The question then becomes what type of compensation New York would look for in a trade of Beckham. San Francisco is slated to pick No. 2 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants will pick sixth overall in the first round.

When looking at basic NFL Draft trade value charts, the difference between San Francisco's pick and the Giants' selection is a mid-first-round pick. That's the starting-off point in trade discussions. It would also likely enable the 49ers to still add an elite-level pass rusher in that of Josh Allen (Kentucky) or Clelin Ferrell (Clemson).

The interesting dynamic here is Antonio Brown's relationship with his Pittsburgh Steelers. Should Brown actively seek out a trade, San Francisco would show interest. Just ask George Kittle himself. That could lower New York's asking price for Beckham, especially if the 49ers do indeed show interest in Brown. It would be all about supply and demand.

With a ton of money to spend and a need at the skill positions, San Francisco can't sit on its hands here. The team must be open to taking a chance on Beckham or Brown should either become available. It's that simple.

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