DeForest Buckner Returns to the 49ers in Colts Trade — Quick Hit | We Want Winners

0:10 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, Rod, we said, if the Niners made a move, if there were some news, we would come back and do a midweek edition of we want winners. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's exactly what happened. [SPEAKER_00]: The 49ers brought back an old friend, Defors Buckner, who they should have never traded away in the first place, by the way. [SPEAKER_00]: And he's back, they traded a fourth round pick to the Indianapolis Colts buckner's back. [SPEAKER_00]: He's going to help out that defensive line. [SPEAKER_00]: What did you think about that trade? [SPEAKER_01]: Um, I like the book, um, and he definitely is an improvement over, um, what we have now, but I gave the [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's um, you know, it, it wasn't lost on me, like you opened with traded in 2024.

1:15 [SPEAKER_01]: And his absolute crime. [SPEAKER_01]: By the way, for a number 13 pick, which we came to Vinacan law, a miss in his six years later, they buy him back at 32 coming off next surgery for fourth round pick. [SPEAKER_01]: That is, that's the 49er front office in one transaction, it says everything, I think it's I mean it's the deal is a good deal you know a fourth round pick and they are only on the hook for just under eight million dollars for the rest of the season and then he's a free agent and he'll be able to play.

2:02 [SPEAKER_01]: next week nine. [SPEAKER_01]: So I mean, he comes to the team and he's immediately their best defensive lineman. [SPEAKER_01]: His past rush. [SPEAKER_01]: He's like, um, according to PFF is his grades grade at 63 overall 73 seven past was just 14 among interior defense environments. [SPEAKER_01]: So really good. [SPEAKER_01]: And somehow even with his 46. [SPEAKER_01]: 0.4 grade 95 out of 126 interior defense is like somehow he's now the best 49er defensive run defender and he's 14th in pressure.

2:50 [SPEAKER_01]: So what we're getting is a still very good [SPEAKER_01]: three technique into your defensive pass rusher. [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, he's clearly, obviously, not the player he was six years ago, but he is an upgrade over what we have now. [SPEAKER_01]: So in that context, I mean, it's a it's a it's a win. [SPEAKER_00]: And I imagine because of he's a little bit on the older side of his career now, then when we first had him, they're going to rotate guys. [SPEAKER_00]: He's not going to take as many snaps as he would have in 2000 and 19.

3:35 [SPEAKER_00]: They have a lot of young players who they can rotate in. [SPEAKER_00]: I think this is like this season. [SPEAKER_00]: is kind of for the vibes of the fans when you bring back dry you bring back dbo to huge fan favorites with the team. [SPEAKER_00]: And then now you bring back buckner and like if you're a 49ers fan who has been, you know, kind of on the the rise with them since in the shanahan in Lynch era, you're like, all right, [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I love these guys.

4:17 [SPEAKER_00]: These are my guys. [SPEAKER_00]: And in football, it's not like that right because of how the salary cap works and because you're only really paying quarterbacks and defensive ends and wide receivers like everyone else is just sort of replaceable and so to have your [SPEAKER_00]: You know, three fan favorites come back now. [SPEAKER_00]: I'll be it not what they once were, but still like there is something that feels good about that which you don't see in football very often when I was growing up, you know, baseball teams kind of stuck together like you got to see a lot of your favorite players stay on one team, stay on your favorite team for many, many, many years.

4:57 [SPEAKER_00]: And in football, you know, you're lucky if you get a guy for three years unless he is the franchise quarterback or, you know, somebody. [SPEAKER_00]: like Nick Bosa, who you keep around because when he's playing, he's excellent, but this is kind of cool in that way. [SPEAKER_00]: My younger son was joking with me and my older son today. [SPEAKER_00]: And he goes, you know, that old Defors Bookner jersey used to have, it's going to be back in style. [SPEAKER_00]: And in my old, this is like, [SPEAKER_00]: First, I have to find it. [SPEAKER_00]: And second, that was about two sizes ago. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I don't think that's going to fit anymore.

5:38 [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it's like, there are some fields there. [SPEAKER_00]: Now, the fields are great, but if you don't get far in the playoffs, then they're kind of like meaningless in a sense. [SPEAKER_00]: But I do enjoy the marketing aspect of this because there is something [SPEAKER_00]: having fan favorites and having popular players and having popular teams. [SPEAKER_00]: We know how well the Niners travel, even though they lost in Atlanta, you saw a lot of Niners fans at that stadium. [SPEAKER_00]: So this is kind of good for overall for the team. [SPEAKER_00]: And now you just hope that it's good on the playing field as well. [SPEAKER_00]: And someone like Buckner can slide right in and probably is, is, you know, not really going to miss too much from from how he knows how to play.

6:25 [SPEAKER_00]: But okay, I kind of sense that you are going to be like, you know, be mine a sish on it because you're looking at it from what have you done for me lately, debuck and a lot of fans are not really looking at it that way today. [SPEAKER_00]: They will once the games get started. [SPEAKER_00]: But that's kind of what I was wondering is how good has he been since [SPEAKER_00]: He left 49ers and I know that first season that he was with the Colts he was he was like great and since then he's got a little older so my question is Do they still need to bring in another edge because that is still where they are suffering. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean that is that was like my fifth point.

7:10 [SPEAKER_01]: I want to touch just quickly on the thing the first thing that popped into my head is it, oh [SPEAKER_01]: This is the same plan. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just the second attempt. [SPEAKER_01]: This was what he, what they basically what Buckner has been this year for the Colts is what they were hoping a Digas, a Digas Uwe was gonna be for us. [SPEAKER_01]: So they traded a third and paid him, you know, $46 million fake money. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, $16 million this year and in the next two years aren't guaranteed. [SPEAKER_01]: If you look at the two of them, it was a third and basically $16 million for OSHA.

7:56 [SPEAKER_01]: And it was a fourth and $8 million for Buckner. [SPEAKER_01]: And he beats him literally. [SPEAKER_01]: Buckner is better than him at every grade. [SPEAKER_01]: He's, you had mentioned, [SPEAKER_01]: Buckner and being able to rotate him and maybe that will be the plan. [SPEAKER_01]: But he is right now fourth in Snaps play among defensive interior players. [SPEAKER_01]: So he has was a workforce in Indianapolis, but maybe the wisest thing would be is not to have him playing 40, 45 Snaps a game.

8:41 [SPEAKER_01]: you want to get him to the end of the season, and to your second point, this works if Nick Bosa comes back that the plan of interior pressure, creating more one-on-one. [SPEAKER_01]: for the other edges, only works if the other edges are able to cash in. [SPEAKER_01]: So if Nick if Nick comes back, then I think this can pay bigger dividends than if he does it. [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't think to your point, I don't think that at this point you can count on [SPEAKER_01]: Nick Bosa.

9:29 [SPEAKER_01]: And if not, then you got Williams, you got white, you've got height. [SPEAKER_01]: That those those aren't the kind of guys that you think. [SPEAKER_01]: Other teams when they make the game plan are going to be trying to double team. [SPEAKER_01]: So I think you're right that in the next two weeks, it would not surprise me if [SPEAKER_01]: they make another move. [SPEAKER_01]: I think they should make another move. [SPEAKER_01]: And I would like to hear who if you have any ideas, because I definitely, I was studying once you had all of me.

10:11 [SPEAKER_00]: There are, you know, there are guys out there. [SPEAKER_00]: There are big names out there. [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, the thing that's about the most of the thing, I think you need to trade for an edge. [SPEAKER_00]: First and foremost, because who knows if this man is going to play and at what level he's going to play, he has not been able to be on the field. [SPEAKER_00]: And so to think that, okay, whatever this injury was coming off of his knee surgery, his ACL, he's just going to be back to the same guy. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, great if that happens, but [SPEAKER_00]: If it doesn't, I think that's what you have to plan for.

10:54 [SPEAKER_00]: So it may not even be who can you add to the other end. [SPEAKER_00]: It might be what happens if Nick doesn't play. [SPEAKER_00]: You still need somebody from who can rush from the edge. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's more what I'm thinking of like, yeah, get somebody. [SPEAKER_00]: And then great. [SPEAKER_00]: If Nick is healthy, fantastic, you have to. [SPEAKER_00]: Then you have to. [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, you know, there's the, [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I mean, Max Crosby was essentially traded in the off season. [SPEAKER_00]: And then he didn't happen, he is out there, of course. [SPEAKER_00]: And he would be a big name. [SPEAKER_00]: And he would be a guy that you would try and ride for eight weeks. [SPEAKER_00]: And then to get into playoffs and see what happens.

11:37 [SPEAKER_00]: The problem is, is you're going to trade for somebody. [SPEAKER_00]: who's making a lot of money because the other team who's going to be trading for him would not trade him if he wasn't making a lot of money. [SPEAKER_00]: That's that that's why that person is available. [SPEAKER_00]: And that person's going to be a little bit on the older side. [SPEAKER_00]: So it's really [SPEAKER_00]: attempt to go for it. [SPEAKER_00]: And then at the end of the season, more than likely, you're trying to figure out if you're bringing them back. [SPEAKER_00]: So like the mid-season trade in the NFL is not like the giant's trading for Raphael Devers, right?

12:18 [SPEAKER_00]: The giant's trade for Raphael Devers. [SPEAKER_00]: And you're [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, we're going to have divers for like seven years and that's not what this is going to be in the NFL. [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be we're going to trade for this guy, see what he's got, and maybe if he still has something, maybe we bring them back, but maybe we don't, and it's really just writing these guys to get to the Super Bowl. [SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, same with Buckner, right? [SPEAKER_00]: Buckner is going to play, and then if he's great, [SPEAKER_00]: And more than likely, he's just going to be back on the free agent market trying to figure out who wants to give him a multi-year deal. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's going to be the same thing for whomever they trade for on the edge.

13:02 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, a couple of things. [SPEAKER_01]: Crosby, let us not forget the reason that that trade was not consummated is because he failed the Ravens physical. [SPEAKER_01]: So you've got a medical risk there. [SPEAKER_01]: So if you tell me, you're going to trade whatever the raiders being to trade. [SPEAKER_00]: What has his side been like? [SPEAKER_00]: maybe that didn't happen the way that it was explained. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I mean, that is their side. [SPEAKER_01]: But what the Ravens have said is that it wasn't necessarily about this season.

13:45 [SPEAKER_01]: They what they saw was that it seemed like was something degenerative that what they were concerned about was paying him [SPEAKER_01]: moving forward. [SPEAKER_01]: So next year is fully guaranteed at $29 million for $27. [SPEAKER_01]: And then, you know, you've got void, you're so there would be an hour after next season. [SPEAKER_01]: So my thought is, I don't think the Raiders are going to take less than, you know, [SPEAKER_01]: I would think it would take at least two and a three, I think they would want to want to probably take it to 49ers, don't have a three this year.

14:30 [SPEAKER_01]: So that would be interesting to see if they decided that was the path that they were going to go down. [SPEAKER_01]: Then basically you're trading for an older player. [SPEAKER_01]: with an injury history. [SPEAKER_01]: I just, I don't think that that's realistic. [SPEAKER_01]: I like, you know, Khalil Mack is basically the booknut tree. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he's the other regular. [SPEAKER_01]: Except. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, except that he is still a very good player on both sides of the [SPEAKER_01]: Rundefender problem is he's 35 years old and a free agent at the end of the season.

15:19 [SPEAKER_01]: So again, it would be another rental. [SPEAKER_01]: The most interesting one, though, is the guy from San Diego. [SPEAKER_01]: Two weeks, I don't want to mispronounce his name. [SPEAKER_01]: Two weeks of low two. [SPEAKER_01]: He's 24 years old and they have not been able to come to agreement on an extension. [SPEAKER_01]: And he's 24 years old. [SPEAKER_01]: So they would have to trade for him obviously. [SPEAKER_01]: And then they would have to pay.

16:02 [SPEAKER_01]: What that, then you've got a lot of moving parts there, with Bolsa and so what are you going to do? [SPEAKER_01]: So if you trade for a younger player who's looking for their first big extension, what do you do? [SPEAKER_01]: Do you pay him and continue to pay? [SPEAKER_01]: Bolsa or does that would a trade like that spell the end of the Bolsa error. [SPEAKER_01]: So that those are it'll be interesting to see these next two weeks are going to be very interesting to see because I agree they definitely still need to address the air position because this team has been too good to have.

16:52 [SPEAKER_01]: Nick Bosa will be Nick Bosa's health because again, if he's healthy, he obviously is a difference maker. [SPEAKER_01]: But when you're talking about coming off a knee injury and now they, they, [SPEAKER_01]: have been cool about what it is. [SPEAKER_01]: I saw someplace, I can wrap a poor reported a calf, but then everything else is like a lower leg. [SPEAKER_01]: So that's concerning, if you're coming off an ACL and then you've used got problems, you know, other problems, other places in that same leg. [SPEAKER_01]: That's not encouraging.

17:32 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, nope, I'm with you. [SPEAKER_00]: It is super interesting to see how they perceive this season. [SPEAKER_00]: Because by the way, it looks like this is the one to go all in on because of the age, which is of the roster, which we've been talking about. [SPEAKER_00]: And you're still at the mercy of one of your best players getting hurt again. [SPEAKER_00]: That's that's everybody. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you've seen some of these NBA injuries. [SPEAKER_00]: My goodness, jade up like breaks his ankle, then they lose case and Wallace to shoulder injury.

18:14 [SPEAKER_00]: He might be out for the season. [SPEAKER_00]: Then I saw today and Edwards is going to go through some Arthur scopic thing. [SPEAKER_00]: This is crazy and, you know, on just on the warriors and they signed a guy in Christophe, Sporzinga, who he's got some crazy health thing to her. [SPEAKER_00]: He may not even play this year, just, and it's not from injury. [SPEAKER_00]: It's from something else to injury. [SPEAKER_01]: When it's an illness, that is really crazy. [SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, it just popped in my head [SPEAKER_01]: with the the the truly tray. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, our boss coach there.

18:56 [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe you could do something with both of them. [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe, um, I don't, you know, that that would be, you know, it would kind of make sense. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't, you know, I don't know how that, you know, would, where the chargers are on that. [SPEAKER_01]: This, [SPEAKER_01]: kind of seems like a lost season, you know, they haven't won. [SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of crazy. [SPEAKER_01]: That they, that team, white god was going to be really good. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, still haven't won a game. [SPEAKER_01]: So that would be an interesting look to see if you just, just if they decided to go, if you're talking about really really going all in, you, [SPEAKER_01]: trade bolsa and get younger at that same position at the same time.

19:53 [SPEAKER_01]: But I agree. [SPEAKER_01]: I think this is a year to try to, you know, push if you're going to ever push the chips. [SPEAKER_01]: I think you go ahead and do it now because the roster is older. [SPEAKER_01]: All of these guys, you know, you get them a chip and like when horse is, you know, when in a championship never means you have to never mean saying you're sorry. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, kind of blow it up, that, you know, that's fine. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, if you get your championship and have to take a step back, you know, I know me as a fan.

20:36 [SPEAKER_01]: I would be cool with that. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, if that's, if that's the, um, trade that you have to make in terms of doing going all in now for. [SPEAKER_01]: two or three years of a rebuild and I'd be all in for that because, you know, nothing you and the other plan of just kind of staying the course, there's no guarantee in that either. [SPEAKER_01]: So I am one who would, like, I am a gambler. [SPEAKER_01]: So you have to take that into consideration. [SPEAKER_00]: they try to bring in a receiver. [SPEAKER_00]: Or do they just go like, we got like eight of these dudes, five of them are gonna have to be healthy at one point.

21:23 [SPEAKER_00]: And eventually we trust that block. [SPEAKER_00]: We'll have some chemistry with these guys that he doesn't currently have chemistry with now. [SPEAKER_01]: Sorry about that. [SPEAKER_01]: I guess I should go. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, it's what you wanna do. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think that I forget who it was, one of the talking heads on the NFL network talked about the fact that if you give up an asset and bring somebody in, [SPEAKER_01]: Um, you've got all these guys coming back.

22:04 [SPEAKER_01]: And I kind of thought that that was a good point. [SPEAKER_01]: But then I realized that you're, so what we're talking about is guys like, um, Brandon Cooks or, um, that kind of ill, if you bring somebody in, you just cut him. [SPEAKER_01]: So you're, you're not really. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that the size of the room is something that, um, [SPEAKER_01]: would necessarily prevent you from upgrading at that position if you could do it. [SPEAKER_01]: And you definitely can make the case if you're talking about relying on guys like Evans and Kirk, who have injury histories, and I guess Debo to a lesser extent, you, it's something that you definitely would have to consider.

22:55 [SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, that edge and wide receiver are definitely still places where they could upgrade. [SPEAKER_00]: All right. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, if we have more news this week, which I don't imagine, I imagine we will probably have some between now and the trade deadline, but we'll have a game before the end of the trade deadline. [SPEAKER_00]: I guess the Niners and Raiders got moved up 25 minutes or whatever they changed the time on that game. [SPEAKER_00]: I think it was a 125 start and got moved to a 105 start. [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I think that's what it was. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it was the other way around, um, but yeah, that is our next game. [SPEAKER_00]: So if there's nothing else happening, that's probably the next time you're going to see you're going to hear us, uh, which is after the nine of Raiders aim, but.

23:42 [SPEAKER_00]: If something happens between now and not this Sunday, but next Sunday, then we'll be back to talk about it. [SPEAKER_00]: I kind of like this little short episode. [SPEAKER_00]: It worked out. [SPEAKER_00]: We didn't have to go live on YouTube and we could just kind of chat and get it over and done quick and get people out of here. [SPEAKER_00]: So all right, that is it from here. [SPEAKER_00]: So for Rod, I'm WG, we will see you when we