49ers mailbag: Who’s the team’s MVP? What happens to Dee Ford? Who could be traded?
The 49ers are feeling somewhat back to normal following their 36-9 road victory over the hapless New York Giants on Sunday.
They returned to the Bay Area on Sunday night after spending 10 days on the East Coast between New Jersey and West Virginia, and they’re getting a little bit healthier ahead of this Sunday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
With that, it’s time to get another mailbag. Let’s go!
David asks: Hey Chris, big fan of the pod here. Who would you say has been the team’s MVP through the first 3 games? Especially with so many injuries knocking key players out.
The pod you say? The one I host with Kyle Madson called Candlestick Chronicles that can be found right here? That’s much appreciated.
As far as the team’s most valuable player, that’s a tough call. There hasn’t been one guy on offense with the counting stats to point to over the first three games. Kendrick Bourne leads the team with 164 receiving yards, but hasn’t scored a touchdown. Jordan Reed had 11 catches, with his two scores coming Week 2 against the New York Jets before getting hurt this week.
Raheem Mostert leads the team in yards from scrimmage with 258, 156 of those coming on his long touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals and Jets. But he didn’t play last week.
So that leaves Jerick McKinnon, who’s scored a touchdown in every game and has provided an inspirational component to his teammates. McKinnon is very well-liked in the locker room and has helped set the tone with the work ethic it took to get back after missing the last two seasons with his knee issues. I’d say he’s the team’s best offensive player of the first three games. Trent Williams has also played very well, but it’s harder to measure his value directly.
Defensively, it’s linebacker Fred Warner. He’s been outstanding.
Warner’s 31.3 passer rating allowed when in coverage, tracked by Pro Football Focus, is the best among all inside linebackers. He also leads the team with 20 tackles while the guy in second place, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, has 13.
Warner is the emotional leader of the defense with cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Nick Bosa sidelined. And San Francisco’s defense ranks second in scoring and third in yardage, albeit after having two games against those dreadful New York teams.
Warner gets the nod here as the team’s MVP through three games.
Leighton asks: Do you think they will consider Kerry Hyder replacing Dee Ford next year to save some cap?
I’d have to think that will be something the team considers. Hyder signed a one-year deal this offseason and is slated for free agency in the spring. If he continues to play like he has and stays healthy, he’ll certainly garner a much more lucrative contract than the $1.5 million he received to join San Francisco.
It’s hard to see Ford lasting with the 49ers beyond this season. His injury issues make paying him almost impossible to justify. His cap figure is over $20 million over the next three years after his contract was restructured before this season. He can be released with a post-June 1 designation next offseason and save the 49ers $16 million with just under $5 million in dead cap money.
I also think edge rusher will be a position the team could target in the draft, along with cornerback and offensive tackle, if the team doesn’t bring back Williams in free agency.
Travese asks: If (JaMycal) Hasty starts playing really well do we think about trading (Tevin) Coleman? I mean a running back (crew) of Mostert, Jerrick McKinnon, Jeff Wilson and Hasty could be really dangerous.
I’m not sure Coleman has much trade value right now. He’s going to miss a month with a knee injury, meaning he won’t be healthy before the Oct. 29 trade deadline. Even if he was, he would likely only garner a late-round pick and might have more value to the 49ers than a future sixth-round pick would.
The coaching staff loves Coleman. It’s the reason why he started all those games last year despite Mostert being the more productive player. Coleman knows the offense and is assignment sound when the ball isn’t in his hands.
Your point about Hasty is good. I imagine his workload will increase over the coming weeks while Coleman is out and Mostert is working back into the mix following his MCL sprain.
Old Man Hubby asks: Most likely 49ers player to be traded away by the deadline? Most likely target position or player to acquire by trade by the deadline?
It wouldn’t make much sense to be trading players away given all the injuries. Even someone like receiver Dante Pettis still has value to San Francisco because he knows the offense and can play in case of injuries, which might be needed given Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a hamstring injury and Deebo Samuel is working back from a broken foot.
No, Pettis hasn’t been productive (he has no catches this season), but shipping him off for a draft pick isn’t going to help the team win the Super Bowl, either.
Could the team trade Nick Mullens or C.J. Beathard? Maybe, but they need their quarterback depth at the moment.
Bob Cook asks: Does Fred Warner have the cred yet to be mentioned in DPOY conversations or will it have to be a sack guy?
A linebacker getting the award would have to put up ridiculous stats (sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions), and potentially score defensive touchdowns. Warner hasn’t done that yet. But I do think he deserves All-Pro and Pro Bowl consideration. After all, he’s a captain of one of the NFL’s best defenses despite missing Bosa and Sherman.
A linebacker hasn’t won since Luke Kuechly in 2013. He was the first at the position since Brian Urlacher in 2005 and Ray Lewis in 2003.
Can Warner get to that level eventually? Perhaps. But it’s hard to envision anyone not named Aaron Donald winning it this year.
The Great One asks: What free agent corners could we give a call?
I assume you mean next offseason, when Sherman and K’Waun Williams are slated for free agency. First, I think the team will try to bring both those guys back, though the price will have to be right given the salary cap constraints brought on by the pandemic.
There are some notable names that could be available, including Patrick Peterson (Cardinals), Logan Ryan (Giants), Quinton Dunbar (Seattle Seahawks), Chidobe Awuzie (Dallas Cowboys) and others.
One player I that would be on my radar as a potential trade target: Marshon Lattimore of the Saints. New Orleans is cap strapped and Lattimore could be made available. The team picked up his fifth-year option paying him $10.2 million for 2021, but he’s unsigned after that. If the Saints wanted, they could probably put together a trade that would net a package including a first-round pick.
