The 49ers’ should at least have half an eye on the situation with Terry McLaurin and the Commanders heading into training camp.
The 49ers have focused on the youth movement this offseason, putting the emphasis on reloading their roster via the draft.
However, this remains an organization unafraid to make aggressive moves at the right price, with that point illustrated by their trade for pass rusher Bryce Huff last month.
The 49ers’ need to get younger has not gone away, though, and as such it would appear that any trade involving them dealing a premium draft selection in exchange for a veteran is unlikely, at least for the moment.
Yet there is a potential opportunity for the 49ers to substantially boost their arsenal of offensive weapons before the start of the season, with Terry McLaurin reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h/t Bleacher Report) to still be unhappy with where things are regarding talks over a contract extension with the Washington Commanders
McLaurin, due a base salary of $15.5 million in the final year of his deal in 2025, skipped OTAs and minicamp as he looks for what would likely be his last big contract.
Flush with cap space and draft capital, the 49ers are theoretically in an excellent position to exploit the situation and explore a trade and extension for McLaurin.
With Brandon Aiyuk’s return date uncertain, the 49ers would certainly have reason for pursue a deal with former assistant GM Adam Peters to land a receiver coming off a fifth successive 1,000-yard season.
Yet it makes sense that the 49ers may wait until after training camp starts, if indeed McLaurin holds out to start Commanders camp, before gauging the possibility of doing a deal.
The 49ers, because of Aiyuk’s injury and following the trade of Deebo Samuel, will be relying on several inexperienced players at wide receiver. There is great hope for last year’s first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, while there have been positive signs from Jacob Cowing and rookie Jordan Watkins in early offseason practices.
Still, despite the youth movement, this remains a team firmly in win-now mode. As such, if the 49ers aren’t satisfied by what they see early in camp from Pearsall and the other young wideouts on the roster, that could lead them to at least pick up the phone and call Peters to see if a deal for one of the league’s most consistent wideouts could be struck.
They are unlikely to receive a positive response from a fellow contender in the NFC, and the 49ers may themselves have reservations about pursuing a 29-year-old seeking a major payday.
But the 49ers have consistently said they always look into situations where they might be able to make the team better, and McLaurin would undoubtedly put them in a stronger position to contend for the Super Bowl in 2025.
The odds of adding McLaurin are slim, but the 49ers may see if there is more than an outside chance if their receivers fail to catch the eye when camp gets going.