The San Francisco 49ers must stay away from a trade for A.J. Green

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly been connected to wide receiver A.J. Green in recent trade rumors. But the team would be wise to stay away from the veteran wideout.

The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of their best start to a season since 1990 as the team currently sits at 4-0, atop of the NFC. That hot start has instigated rumors that the team could possibly make a deal before the trade deadline, perhaps involving wide receiver A.J. Green.

However, that would be a massive mistake for a team with one eye on the future and one eye on a possible deep postseason run this season.

The 49ers have surprised many this year and remain one of just two unbeaten teams in the NFL, along with the New England Patriots. The defense has emerged as one of the best units in the league and the offense has had its moments to shine too.

But that doesn’t mean that this is a team without weaknesses.

While the offensive line is much improved and the running game has been stellar, the 49ers don’t exactly have the most star-studded collection of wide receivers And apart from All-Pro tight end George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo‘s targets in the passing game are a little limited.

Or at least, that’s what the stats would indicate.

Through four games, only two receivers on the team have managed to even top 70 yards through the air, that being Deebo Samuel and Marquise Goodwin. And only Samuel has managed to haul in double-digit receptions.

On the surface, it would appear that head coach Kyle Shanahan could use another weapon to utilize in his offense. And while that may be true, Green just wouldn’t be a fit for the 49ers.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently proposed a possible trade that would send Green packing out west to San Francisco. Barnwell insisted that the 49ers send a 2020 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Green and a 2020 second-round pick.

Yes, this was a serious proposal.

At one point, Green was likely a consensus top-five wide receiver in the NFL. But the 31-year-old hasn’t aged gracefully and he’s dealt with numerous injuries over the last few years including an ankle injury that has kept him out since late July.

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On top of that, Green is on the last year of his deal meaning that the 49ers would be paying for an aging rental wide receiver who’s struggled with injury concerns and is yet to play this season.

That certainly doesn’t sound like someone the team would be willing to part with a first or even a second-rounder for — let alone a package of both.

While the Bengals’ asking price would likely be considerably lower than what Barnwell suggested, they aren’t just going to give him away for nothing. In fact, first-year head coach came out and explicitly stated “we are not trading that guy” in a press conference on Thursday.

But for an 0-5 Bengals team likely moving on from their quarterback at the end of the season, there really isn’t any reason to hold on to him.

Still, the 49ers would be better off targeting someone like Stefon Diggs if they were to trade for a receiver at the deadline.

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That said, the 49ers don’t necessarily need to be parting ways with future draft capital to acquire a receiver. Contrary to what many may believe, the 49ers actually have a pretty talented receiver group and Shanahan has found ways to get everyone involved.

This offense doesn’t need a top-tier No. 1 wide receiver to flourish. Instead, it’s been a role-based, inclusive unit that has managed to maximize each player’s skill set.

Shanahan’s offense flourished with Julio Jones when they were together in Atlanta, but he’s proving this year that he doesn’t need a superstar wide receiver to succeed.

Especially not an aging, injury-prone veteran who may only be here for half of a season.

At one point, A.J. Green was one of the most sought-after wide receivers in football. But as it stands today, he’s a shell of his former self and not worth the pick it once took to draft him.

The 49ers should be wise and stay clear of any trade involving A.J. Green.