The 49ers will most likely get a Brock Purdy deal done. The Steelers have a T.J. Watt problem. Obviously, we have the hot takes to trade Purdy…some for Watt. Let’s honestly see what you’d take
Much like last year, there are still takes for the San Francisco 49ers to make a trade. Last year, it was Brandon Aiyuk and/or Deebo Samuel. This year, it’s Brock Purdy. Both times, it just doesn’t seem like it would happen.
But hey, there are takes coming about the 49ers moving on from Brock Purdy, like this one from ESPN First Take where Chris Canty suggests the Steelers trade a first-round pick and linebacker T.J. Watt to the 49ers for Brock Purdy.
“I don’t know how the 49ers say no to that,” Canty said, elaborating on the idea.
I do. It’s a quarterback that is a system fit that only Jimmy Garoppolo could consistently do well in before without making it a turnover parade. That’s how I say no to that. That said, the package isn’t…bad. That’s still not going to make me give up Brock Purdy unless something disastrous happens in negotiations.
For those of you wondering what T.J. Watt has to do with this, the Steelers linebacker posted a cryptic Instagram photo indicating he might not be long for the organization. As 49ers fans, we’ve been through the 49ers’ own version of this story multiple times. More often than not, unless a front office leaks something, the player stays.
Watt is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract. Again, the 49ers have already gone through their version of this story a couple of times. Regardless, Watt’s numbers weren’t bad, but it wasn’t a peak year:
- 61 total tackles (40 solo)
- 11.5 sacks
- 6 forced fumbles (led the NFL)
- 2 fumble recoveries
- 4 passes defended
So, back to Purdy. This deal is for Watt and a first-rounder. No thanks. The first-round pick sounds nice, but now the 49ers are stuck with Mac Jones and an unproven quarterback they may draft (assuming they made the trade), not a system fit like Purdy.
Since these trade ideas are popping up, it did have me reminisce on a story Mike Holmgren told of the time Bill Walsh had the idea of training Joe Montana—you know, a trade that actually was discussed:
“He [Walsh] said, ‘What do you think we could get if we traded Joe Montana?’
“No one said anything. No one wanted to do it. We went around the room again, and of course, it was, ‘No, no, no, no.’
And then he passed a piece of paper around and said, ‘Write down what you would take in a trade for Joe Montana.’
The 49ers ultimately didn’t trade Montana that year. Brock Purdy is no Joe Montana. Let’s not get weird. But the emotional weight of trading a guy who just keeps winning in your system feels similar. That said, much like Holmgren, I say it in the same way:
What do you think the 49ers could get if they traded Brock Purdy?
Me? If you pry a quarterback who has one year left on a rookie deal with excellent processing speed and can run the 49ers offense like he can, it will take more than the above. Watt’s a complimentary piece in this. The 49ers run a 4-3, not a 3-4 like the Steelers. Plus, given what they gave up to have him, they’d have to get a large contract extension out. This is assuming he could transition to a 4-3. Given how NFL defenses run today, it’s probably not as much of an issue, but we’ve all seen this happen. There’s no data on this next piece, but I’m still haunted by 49ers trading whiffs like when they got Dee Ford, which went south.
I don’t want one first-round pick. I want two first-round picks. Watt? Take him or leave him. If it’s Watt and a first-rounder, that’s not enough. If Watt is in the deal, I don’t need an additional first-rounder, but I’d need something to go along with it for the reservations mentioned above. A second and change, probably.
For the rest of the league? Two first-rounders, end of story. The Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick, Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and Shelby Harris. Purdy isn’t Wilson and the 49ers are not getting anything in the neighborhood of that package. Two first-round picks do it for me. I’d like mayyyybe a third-rounder, but I’m not pressing my luck.
What about you? If you were going to trade Brock Purdy, what would it take?