The San Francisco 49ers made their biggest splash this offseason thus far by trading a 2020 second-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for stud linebacker Dee Ford.
The Niners wasted no time in securing Ford to a long-term deal as well. NFL Reporter James Palmer tweeted that the team is expected to extend the 27-year-old's contract to a massive five-year deal worth somewhere in the ballpark of $87.5 million.
Ian Rapoport confirmed that the deal has gone through, making Ford one of the highest-paid linebackers this offseason:
This makes the trade complete. Dee Ford to the #49ers. https://t.co/WjPqlZKGlh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2019
The Chiefs drafted Ford in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft with the 23rd overall pick. The team placed the Auburn product with the franchise tag earlier this March, but opted to part ways with their rising star due to a change in defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
The 49ers, meanwhile, really needed help in the pass-rushing department following yet another lackluster performance on defense in 2018. San Francisco registered just 37 sacks last season, which ranked 22nd overall in the league.
The Niners really got themselves a gem in Ford, who proved himself as one of the NFL's elite defenders last season. The 6-foot-2 pass-rusher finished his 2018 campaign with 55 tackles, 13 sacks, and seven forced fumbles, earning him his first-career Pro Bowl nod.
As for Kansas City, the loss of Ford actually has a silver lining to it. The team will save $15 million in cap space with the trade, which bodes well for the rest of their offseason maneuvering. The Chiefs already took action to improving their defense in other ways as well, recently agreeing to terms with safety Tyrann Mathieu.
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