One trade, cut and signing the San Francisco 49ers should make

Even though the San Francisco 49ers fell just short of a championship – again – they are still bringing back one of the best top-to-bottom rosters in the entire NFL. They are poised to be Super Bowl contenders again, but have a few big moves to make this offseason to create salary-cap space and maintain long-term success. Here is one trade, one cut and one signing the franchise should be considering.

TRADE: WR Brandon Aiyuk

This would be a tough move to make considering how important Aiyuk has been to the 49ers offense, but it might be a necessity. Or at least a proactive move to help position the team for the long-term. 

Aiyuk is entering the final year of his contract and the 49ers might not have the salary-cap space to keep him at length, especially with quarterback Brock Purdy having a major contract extension looming over the coming years. 

Putting Aiyuk on the market could bring back a significant draft pick in return while also creating salary cap flexibility for the future. The harsh reality in a salary cap league is you can not keep everybody, and sometimes you have to make tough decisions.  He also might welcome the opportunity to be a No. 1 option in another team's offense, something he won't really have in San Francisco playing behind Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. 

CUT: LB Dre Greenlaw

If the idea of shopping Aiyuk is difficult to ponder, this might even downright impossible for 49ers fans. But again, it might be a necessity given the the team's salary-cap situation. Greenlaw has been a major cog in the 49ers defense since the start of the 2019 season.

But he is likely to miss a significant portion of next season after suffering a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl and may not be 100% effective when he eventually returns. Cutting Greenlaw, while harsh given his importance to the team and his injury, would save the 49ers $6.8 million in salary-cap space this season. That would be big savings for a team that is entering the offseason with only $6 million in salary-cap space. 

SIGNING: G Robert Hunt

The 49ers do not have any serious flaws or major weaknesses, but one area they could stand to upgrade is the right side of their offensive line. Hunt, a key part of Miami's offensive line the past couple of years, would be an ideal fit as a right guard in San Francisco's offense. He is a mauling run-blocker and would be a big upgrade over Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano.

The 49ers do not have a ton of salary-cap space with which to work – at least before making any major cuts or trades – but Hunt could be well within their price range as a mid-level free agent.