Randy Gregory trade looking like a steal for the 49ers before he's even played a game
The 49ers didn't have to give up a lot to get Randy Gregory, and they won't have to pay their new edge rusher much either. San Francisco on Friday confirmed earlier reports that the 49ers had traded a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for Gregory and a seventh-round pick. It is a […]
The 49ers didn't have to give up a lot to get Randy Gregory, and they won't have to pay their new edge rusher much either.
San Francisco on Friday confirmed earlier reports that the 49ers had traded a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for Gregory and a seventh-round pick.
It is a low-risk bet on a former second-round pick who as recently as 2021 had six sacks and 12 quarterback hits. In a 2022 season disrupted by injury, Gregory ranked 15th among edge rushers with at least 100 pass rush snaps in pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus.
The 49ers are banking on defensive line coach Kris Kocurek being able to coax similar production out of Gregory, who will not link up with his new team until Monday, ruling him out of Sunday's clash with the team that drafted him, the Cowboys.
Even if that bet doesn't pay off, the damage to the 49ers' cap situation will be minimal.
Indeed, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the Broncos are will pay Gregory $10 million for the reminder of the season. The 49ers will pay him the veteran minimum of $840,000.
Beyond this season, Gregory has three years left on the five-year, $70 million deal he signed with the Broncos in 2022, but none of the $42 million he is owed over that period is guaranteed.
Essentially, the 49ers have the flexibility this offseason to either move on from Gregory or rework his deal. At worst, they have a one-year rental at the cost of $840,000 and a late-round pick swap. However, if Gregory performs to the standard they hope, the 49ers have three years of team control and can set about negotiating a restructure that would please both parties.
The deal is another all-in move from a team that is firmly in 'Super Bowl or bust' mode, but the 49ers haven't had to mortgage their future to strike a trade they believe immediately makes the most impressive team in football through four weeks even better.
If they're wrong, the cost is so low that nobody will bat an eyelid. If they are proven correct, the Gregory trade will be viewed as a steal by an extremely astute front office. Given the talent he has and the Niners' track record with pass rushers, the more likely outcome is the latter.
Final 49ers injury report for Week 5, vs. Cowboys
A key playmaker is in a better position to produce.
