NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Put Torrey Smith, Joe Staley On Trading Block
NFL trade rumors are swirling around Torrey Smith and Joe Staley as the moribund San Francisco 49ers looks to regroup for the future.
As the NFL trade deadline, which is set for Tuesday, November 1 at 4 p.m., nears, Torrey Smith becomes more valuable to the teams that still are in the hunt for the playoffs. One such surprise team that needs an upgrade at wide receiver is the Philadelphia Eagles, according to multiple reports.
While the San Francisco 49ers continue to deny the rumors, NBC Sports‘ Mike Florio has suggested otherwise. The sports reporter explained why Torrey Smith would be an excellent fit for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense.
“Smith was linked to the Eagles several days ago. The move would bring a true deep threat to Doug Pederson’s version of the West Coast offense, and having a legitimate deep threat tends to open up everything underneath.”
Instead of a trading Torrey Smith for a draft pick, the San Francisco 49ers could barter players with the Philadelphia Eagles according to another report. The Star-Ledger is reporting that former Philadelphia Eagles and current San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly could be pushing to acquire a player he drafted while with his former team in exchange for Torrey Smith, the article suggested.
“One possible trade chip could be wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who was drafted by current 49ers head coach — and former Eagles’ coach — Chip Kelly. The Eagles are not high on Agholor, who has just 18 catches for 181 yards and one touchdown this season.”
The San Francisco 49ers signed Torrey Smith to a five-year deal in 2015 worth $40 million, according to UPI. Despite having just 13 receptions for 199 yards through seven games this season, Torrey Smith would be an upgrade for the Philadelphia Eagles as the NFC East team ranks third-worst in the NFL in terms of passing yardage.
Report: #Eagles, #49ers are discussing a deal for WR Torrey Smith https://t.co/D0p7yGGpag pic.twitter.com/iNtJbpsYsr
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 25, 2016
Rumors surrounding Joe Staley have come from the San Francisco Chronicle as the publication has suggested the 49ers will seek a first round draft pick to replace the longest-tenured player on their roster. The reason Joe Staley is being shopped around is he appears to be the best value with 95 straight starts and five consecutive all-pro selections on a roster where little talent exists elsewhere. According to the article, the San Francisco 49ers are already planning for 2017 and beyond.
Since being taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft, Joe Staley has been a mainstay for the NFC West franchise. Joe Staley remains one of only nine players from the squad that made the Super Bowl just four years prior.
NFL rumors first started surfacing about Staley shortly after the San Francisco 49ers dropped to 1-6 following their 34-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 23. Chip Kelly attempted to put an end to the rumors surrounding Staley this week when he addressed the media, suggesting the scuttlebutt was false according to ESPN.
“That’s news to me. Nobody has had any discussions with me about Joe being traded. We need Joe here. [General Manager Trent Baalke and I] never had a conversation about that, and we talk about everything on a daily basis, but that’s never come up.”
Joe Staley and Torrey Smith aren’t the only two players on the trading block, according to the Inquisitr. The Dallas Cowboys’ Darren McFadden, who was the team’s leading rusher last season, is also available for the right price, according to reports surfacing Sunday.
Do you believe the NFL rumors suggesting the San Francisco 49ers will trade either Torrey Smith or Joe Staley to another franchise? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
[Featured Image by Grant Halverson/Getty Images]