There has been growing talk over whether the San Francisco 49ers should deal Joe Staley. But there are various reasons why they should not even consider it.
It is clear at this point that the San Francisco 49ers are not averse to removing veterans from their roster, and discussion is growing as to whether Joe Staley should be the next to leave.
With NaVorro Bowman having been cut two weeks ago and the 49ers now 0-7 following a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, it is logical to wonder if the Niners would be willing to deal Staley, one of their better players, to a contender for draft picks as they continue to rebuild the roster.
Asked about a potential Staley trade in his Wednesday media conference, head coach Kyle Shanahan said it would have to take “a whole lot” for the 49ers to agree to trade their left tackle, per Niners Nation:
"“Joe’s a guy that I definitely want here, and definitely a guy I wouldn’t want to lose, by any means. I’m not gonna sit here and — I mean, if anybody called for any of our players, it’s not like you just hang up the phone. If you want to offer the world, you always gotta listen. You always gotta think, what’s gonna help your team, and make your team better. But to lose a guy like Joe Staley, that wouldn’t be something I’d be excited about, so that would have to take a whole lot.”"
Shanahan is right to indicate that it would take a significant offer to convince them to trade Staley, as doing so would impact both their short and long-term prospects.
Though San Francisco’s offensive line is a long way from being one of the best in the league, Staley, along with right tackle Trent Brown have been two bright spots for this winless squad. Staley is graded as the No. 19 tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus Edge, suffering from some up-and-down performances in recent weeks, but has kept the Niners’ quarterbacks relatively clean for the majority of this season.
The Week 3 game where PFF charted Staley and Brown as having combined to give up just three pressures — none of them sacks — against the Arizona Cardinals, was a particular highlight for the duo. The 2007 first-round pick is not quite the same player he once was, but both the 49ers and the 33-year old can take inspiration from some of his contemporaries.
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Andrew Whitworth remains one of the better tackles in the NFL at 35, and the same can be said of Jason Peters of the Philadelphia Eagles — also 35 — whose knee injury suffered in the Monday Night Football win over the Washington Redskins fuelled talk of a Staley trade. There is evidence to suggest Staley can continue to play at a high level for another few years, meaning he could again be a part of a winning Niners team, depending on how quick any potential turnaround is.
Again, San Francisco can look to the Rams as an example to follow, with Los Angeles having gone from also-rans to apparent playoff contenders in the space of an offseason.
Keeping some kind of continuity on the offensive line is imperative for a team looking to build a foundation and Staley and Brown, who have been able to play at least to an average level despite consistently being put on an island with no help in pass protection, are key cogs in a possible revival for San Francisco.
NFL Tackles getting the least amount of help (Chips, Double teams etc.). Some may surprise you: (NFL Average = 29.2%) pic.twitter.com/UBSZWYUE9Y
— Neil Hornsby (@PFF_Neil) October 25, 2017
Performances that will see rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard suffer as many sacks as the five he took in the loss to the Cowboys should not be commonplace providing Staley and Brown remain in the lineup.
However, if the 49ers decide to part with Staley, for whom they do not have an adequate replacement, then they risk damaging the development of a quarterback they invested a third-round pick in by putting him in harm’s way on a regular basis. Beathard may not be the answer under center for the 49ers, in fact it appears highly unlikely that he is, but at present he is still an asset as a potential backup or player they could perhaps send to a quarterback-needy team down the line should he make strides in the coming weeks.
The best way for the 49ers to find out what they have in Beathard is not by having him take constant punishment as a result of trading away his best pass protector. San Francisco needs Staley to keep the team at least semi-competitive in 2017 and there looks to be enough left in his tank for him to contribute to a winning club should there be a quick turnaround in fortunes.
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So many teams do not have an answer at left tackle. The 49ers have one in an established veteran who has yet to significantly slow down, trading him away would be the first real misstep by Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.