The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a first-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The pick being sent to San Francisco will be the 13th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
Trade AND deal: Colts trade first-round pick (13th overall) to 49ers for All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner, who already has agreed to a massive contract that pays him $21 million a year and makes him the second-highest paid DT in NFL history behind only Aaron Donald, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
With free agency just days away, teams are making roster moves to prepare themselves for all the big names coming available on March 18. After a trip to the Super Bowl, the Niners decided they would try and shed some salary ahead of the free agency period and did so by sending DeForest Buckner to Indy.
Getting the 13th overall pick in return isn’t too bad either for San Francisco, but they are losing one of the premier interior presences in the entire NFL. Buckner proved to be more than capable of anchoring one of the NFL’s top tier defenses and was a major reason the Niners were able to cruise to their second Super Bowl appearance since 2012.
Buckner was dominant inside while Erik Armstead and standout rookie Nick Bosa on the outside gave the Niners perhaps the best defensive front in the entire NFL. The Colts were in the market for some extra beef upfront and adding Buckner to their front seven could be exactly what they need to take that next step next season.
