The San Francisco 49ers were essentially making a choice between Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner this spring, and they went with Armstead.
The 49ers signed Armstead to a five-year, $85 million deal while trading Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Armstead was “shocked” the Niners traded his former Oregon teammate, though he also wished Buckner the best in Indianapolis, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk:
“I didn’t have any knowledge of it, so I signed and then I heard of that, so it was a shock to me,” Armstead said on KNBR 680, via NBCSportsBayArea.com.
Although Armstead loved playing with Buckner, he says Buckner is going to be a great fit in Indianapolis.
“It was a shock. You know, I was confused and I didn’t really expect that,” Armstead said. “Super excited and happy for him. Me and him actually have been working out for a few weeks now, so we’ve been able to hang out and talk about it. God works in mysterious ways and we both believe things happen for a reason. It’s going to be weird not playing alongside each other anymore like we have done for about eight years, but I know he’s going to do amazing things up there with the Colts. I’m super happy for him.”
While San Francisco's defense might miss Buckner's interior presence on the front four, they are hoping Armstead can improve on a breakout 2019 season.
Moreover, the 49ers got fantastic value in return. They now have a pair of first-round picks and can look to draft one of the marquee wideouts in this year's class. That should help make up for the loss of Emmanuel Sanders while giving San Francisco a dynamic playmaker to line up opposite Deebo Samuel.
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