San Francisco 49ers: 3 Players who should be on block at NFL Trade Deadline
Joshua Garnett
Despite his best efforts to lose weight to fit into the Shanahan offense, Garnett lost a competition for the starting right guard spot with Mike Person and has rarely seen the field since. The 2016 first-round pick played only three special teams snaps against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and his lack of positional versatility puts him behind Erik Magnuson in the offensive line pecking order.
A more natural fit for a power or gap blocking team, Garnett should still carry value as someone with the potential to be a long-term answer at guard at the age of 24. The 49ers would be wise to cash in.
Malcolm Smith
The emergence of Fred Warner as the starting Mike linebacker has seen Smith relegated to the role of SAM linebacker in the 49ers base defense, a position that limits his time on the field given how often San Francisco uses nickel. Smith has player under 28 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018, per Pro Football Reference, playing time that does not justify the lucrative contract he signed in 2017.
The former Seattle Seahawk, according to Over The Cap, is due to take up 2.9 percent of the cap in 2019 — 2020 and 2021 are option years — money the 49ers would surely rather spend elsewhere.
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San Francisco is likely to be in the market for a SAM linebacker who can play in base and be an edge rusher on passing downs in the offseason. That would make Smith surplus to requirements and, with there being little downside to replacing him with a younger player for the final eight games of this season, the 49ers should do all they can to get his contract off the books.