49ers Free Agency: Three Takeaways From DeForest Buckner Trade

49ers sent defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts following the finalized deal with Arik Armstead. Did the 49ers make the right choice?

DeForest Buckner was in line to be extended by the San Francisco 49ers. That was until the 49ers realized the cost of having to retain their defensive captain. 

Rather than trot him out on the final-year of his rookie contract, the 49ers decided to maximize their asset by trading Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. San Francisco will be receiving Indianapolis' No. 13 pick in the first round.

The deal to send Buckner to the Colts emerged out of nowhere. Everything transpired so quickly once it was revealed that the Niners signed Arik Armstead to a five-year, $85 million deal. 

This transaction indicates that the 49ers chose Armstead over Buckner, despite Buckner having the better body of work. So why would the 49ers send Buckner away for a player who was having an underachieving career until last season?

I explain my three takeaways from the Buckner trade:

Draft Value

First and foremost, the value that the 49ers acquired from trading Buckner was top-notch. They were able to gain the Colts' No. 13 overall pick, which makes the Niners serious players in April's draft with two first-round picks. They desperately needed additional draft capital since they do not have a pick after No. 31 until the fifth-round. 

Now the 49ers have a lot more flexibility in the draft. They can stay at home with their picks and take a top wide receiver draft prospect, like CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy, at No. 13. Or they can trade down and accumulate multiple picks. Everything is on the table and it is something that would not have been possible had they traded Arik Armstead. 

This is one of the driving factors that led the 49ers to send Buckner packing. The 49ers would have been lucky to have gotten a second-round pick for Armstead - let alone a first. Now the 49ers will get good/great player in the draft on a rookie deal. These types of moves are necessary for long-term sustained success. 

Added Salary-Cap Space

With Buckner now off the 49ers' books, they have roughly $22 million in salary-cap space. Assuming Armstead's deal is back-loaded, which I believe is likeliest scenario, and other players are cut, then the 49ers are assuredly looking at $10 million in added cap space. 

As we do our best to keep big-picture perspective: With over $22 million in salary-cap space (pre-Armstead details, but also pre-roster cuts) and two first-round draft picks now, the setup of the 49ers’ offseason looks totally different now than when we woke up today

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) March 16, 2020

Even if all those steps are not taken, the 49ers still remove Buckner's $12.4 million cap hit. So the trade of Buckner was two-for-one. They were able to gain great value with the first round pick and were able to gain much needed breathing room with the cap. Another thing to factor in here is the contracts both Armstead and Buckner signed. 

Armstead is looking at $17 million annually, while Buckner is at $21 million. A difference of $4 million may seem minuscule, but the reality is it isn't with the cap hits. The 49ers had to have realized that Buckner's price range was too much, so picking Armstead was the consolation. Getting his contract off the books makes for a smoother offseason for the 49ers.

Extending George Kittle becomes a lot more feasible. And I wouldn't rule out adding a quality free agent player either. So much is on the table and it is just day one of the free agent period. 

Armstead Presented Stronger Impact

With the alluring draft value and added cap space in trading Buckner, the 49ers' logic is fundamentally sound no matter how you look at it. However, that is just two parts of the story that weighed heavily when deciding to trade him. I mentioned how Buckner's price range of $4 million more was too high for the 49ers. That is likely because he only plays one position.

Buckner plays exclusively inside in both run and pass games. Armstead is an interchangeable player with the ability to kick out on the edge. If there is one thing that is absolute with the entire 49ers' brass is that they love versatile players on both sides of the ball. They carry the best value because of their deep skillset. 

While Buckner does have the better resume, the 49ers clearly felt that 2019 Armstead was his true self. Having D.J. Jones, who proved to be a valiant rotational player, also had to have played a factor into trading Buckner. It will be interesting to see how responds in a starting role coming off of injury, but having to settle for Jones is not a bad fall back plan. 

All in all, this was a sound move for the 49ers to make. I know that this a trade that will sting for fans as Buckner was a beloved player. However, this is the nature of the business. The 49ers had to do it to ensure that their 2019 season was not a fluke. Now they have significantly more flexiblity to keep their team a strong contender going into 2020.