49ers: 3 observations from the Marquise Goodwin trade

The San Francisco 49ers shipped Marquise Goodwin to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in a late-round pick swap. We take a look at three observations from the trade.

The San Francisco 49ers were one of the most active teams during the 2020 NFL Draft. Not only was the team able to add potential future stars in Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk, but they were also able to make three notable mid-draft trades.

The first two deals saw All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams land in the Bay Area while running back Matt Breida was shipped to the Miami Dolphins.

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While both of these moves were certainly notable, I want to focus on the last deal for the purpose of this article. This trade sent speedy wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a sixth-round pick swap.

Here are some important observations about the trade.

1. Goodwin’s injury concerns outweighed his upside

The three-year member of the 49ers had his best career season in 2017 when he recorded 962 yards on only 56 receptions. The former Olympic athlete proved that this 4.27 40-yard-dash speed was enough to make him a legitimate big-play threat at the NFL level.

However, despite his potential, reoccurring knee and foot issues caused the receiver to miss 12 games in the past two years. This, in combination with the recent addition of Aiyuk and the emergence of Deebo Samuel, made Goodwin expendable.

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2. The 49ers are all-in on Aiyuk and Samuel

San Francisco proved how much they valued Aiyuk’s abilities when they traded up to select him with the 25th pick. In fact, head coach Kyle Shanahan was so enamored with his talent, that he recently stated he was a serious consideration with the 13th overall pick.

The former Arizona State star’s blazing speed and long catch radius should allow him to thrive in Shanahan’s creative offense. However, it is not as though the 49ers have incredible depth at wide receiver. Going into the draft, the position was one of the team’s biggest needs.

While adding a first-round talent helps, Aiyuk and Samuel are both young, unproven, players. If either player struggles, the team may be forced to consider a midseason trade if they seriously hope to contend for a second consecutive Super Bowl berth.

The fact that the team felt confident enough to make this move shows just how much trust Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have in their two playmakers.

3. The 49ers add a tight end while saving cap space

The Goodwin deal also sent pick 210 to the Eagles. In return, the Niners scored pick No. 190, which they used to draft tight end Charlie Woerner. The former Georgia Bulldog’s combination of size and grit should allow him to carve out a role as a secondary option in two-tight-end sets.

For what it’s worth, San Francisco landed their current All-Pro tight end George Kittle in the fifth round of his draft.

Additionally, the team will also save a reported $3.6 million against the 2020 salary cap. This will allow the team the flexibility to add depth to their roster after the draft has concluded.

What do you think about the Goodwin trade?