The San Francisco 49ers head into the regular season with more than a few concerning injuries, particularly on defense.
Linebacker Dee Winters is dealing with a knee injury, while safety Talanoa Hufanga was just removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list after recovering from an ACL tear last season. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw will begin the season on the PUP list, and defensive tackle Kalia Davis is on injured reserve.
Pass rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos also sustained knee injuries during the preseason, although neither is believed to be serious.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report put together one trade every NFL team should consider before the 2024 regular season begins. For San Francisco, with the laundry list of ailments in mind, he proposed sending a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
“With Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos now dealing with knee injuries suffered in the preseason finale, the edge depth might be tested in the early weeks of the season,” Kay wrote on August 27. “While San Francisco still has superstar defender Nick Bosa to lean on, getting a youthful talent like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka could reinforce this rotation and take it to another level.”
Could 49ers Try to Trade for Buccaneers Edge Joe Tryon-Shoyinka?
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Tryron-Shoyinka was a first-round selection (No. 32 overall) for the Bucs in 2021. He has played in 51 games over his first three seasons, starting 34.
In 2023, he appeared in all 17 games (12 starts) and finished with career highs in tackles (45), tackles-for-loss (7) and sacks (5.0). A solid disruptor, he has 31 quarterback hits over the last three years.
“Tryon-Shoyinka is entering the final year of his rookie deal after the Buccaneers declined his fifth-year option,” Kay noted.
“He’s recorded 13 sacks during his first three NFL seasons, but he doesn’t have a prominent role after he was surpassed by Yaya Diaby on the depth chart last year. With rookie Chris Braswell now in the mix, Tryon-Shoyinka could be on his way out via trade sooner than later.”
Kay believes Tryon-Shoyinka could be had for a sixth-rounder. If that’s the case, GM John Lynch should absolutely put in a call.
“The 49ers don’t have many roster spots or much cap space at their disposal and need to make the most of their limited resources in any trade,” Kay noted. “Getting a cheap one-year rental of Tryron-Shoyinka for just over $2 million could be worth it to help their edge rotation withstand another long playoff run.”
Kyle Shanahan Says Roster Will Change ‘A Ton’
The Niners set their initial 53-man roster on August 27. Head coach Kyle Shanahan says he hopes both Floyd and Gross-Matos will be ready for Week 1, when San Francisco hosts the New York Jets.
“Yetur has a knee, he’ll be week-to-week,” Shanahan said on August 25. “Leonard Floyd also with a knee, he’s day-to-day.”
The 49ers coach also says folks should expect the team’s roster to go through several different changes between now and then.
“Never in the history of football has the final 53 been the final 53,” Shanahan said about the team’s final roster cuts. That’s just the final 53 on Tuesday at one o’clock, I think it is. But after that it’s always changing. And you’ve got 53 guys who you decide on then, you’ve got 16 on practice squad. That changes a ton throughout the year.”
