49ers $18 Million Edge Named Team’s Top Trade Piece Amid Cap Concerns

Last offseason, the San Francisco 49ers signed defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year contract worth $18 million, with $9.39 million guaranteed.

It was a move PFF called a “head-scratcher” at the time, and a year later, some analysts still aren’t seeing the 27-year-old pass rusher’s fit with the Niners.

In his May 22 article for Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine assessed the roster needs and top trade candidates for all 32 NFL teams. For the 49ers, he named Gross-Metos as the team’s top trade asset.

When San Francisco initially added him last offseason, its primary goal was to bolster pass rushing depth alongside star Nick Bosa. But his 2024 campaign had enough hiccups to make his exit a possibility. Plus, with the 11th overall pick in the draft this year, the 49ers chose Mykel Williams, the 6-foot-5, 267-pound playmaking edge out of Georgia.

Might that make trading Gross-Metos more palatable? Let’s discuss.