NFL rumors: 5 players who should be traded during the 2023 NFL Draft

NFL Rumors: Trey Lance should be traded during the 2023 NFL Draft

Now we get to the portion of the proceedings where we’re basically talking about conjecture.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said this week amid the rumors that quarterback Trey Lance could be on the trade block that he expects the former No. 3 overall pick to be on the team this season. That should seemingly shut down all of the trade talk, especially with the uncertainty around Brock Purdy’s availability for the 2023 season.

Again, it should shut it down — but then again, it’s hard to ignore the other signs.

For whatever reason, the 49ers appear extremely unsold on Lance, despite trading up to draft him initially and having him start the 2022 season under center. They signed Sam Darnold this offseason and have indicated that he will have a chance to compete for QB1 while Purdy is recovering. Moreover, the team appears dead-set on Purdy being the starter after the way he filled in after injuries last year.

While having Lance as injury assurance while Purdy is out does stand to reason, the fact of the matter is that San Francisco doesn’t have a pick in the 2023 NFL Draft until the 99th overall selection. Yes, the roster is ready to contend as is, but they can get more aggressive and add more talent if they were to deal Lance, a quarterback it truly doesn’t seem like they like.

For teams like the Vikings, Raiders, Commanders and even Buccaneers that have uncertain futures at quarterback but are likely outside of the range to draft one early this year, there has to be a call placed to the 49ers about a Trey Lance trade. Even if his availability his questionable, a former No. 3 overall pick who still has massive upside doesn’t even become that available all too often, so exploring the trade would make complete sense.

Possible Landing Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders

Commanders Trade | The D-Hop Trade | Vikings Trade | Star RB Trade