The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a Super Bowl appearance, but their roster could look quite a bit different come Week 1 of the 2020 season.
According to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic, the cash-strapped 49ers have made pass rusher Dee Ford, linebacker Kwon Alexander, safety Jaquiski Tartt and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin available for trade.
Whether or not San Francisco actually moves any of those players remains to be seen, but Lombardi notes that they are all available for the right price.
From talking to teams around the league 49ers want to clean up some cap issues and have made Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander along with Goodwin and Tartt available for trade. Will they get takers? Not sure but all four names are on the available list for the right price.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 20, 2020
The Niners traded defensive lineman DeForest Bucker to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round draft pick last month, so they have already begun trying to get their cap situation straight.
Both Ford and Alexander were brought in by the 49ers last offseason, with San Francisco swinging a trade to acquire Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs and signing Alexander in free agency.
Meanwhile, Tartt was drafted by the Niners back in 2015, and Goodwin has spent each of the last three seasons in the Bay Area.
The 49ers apparently shopping Goodwin is not surprising, as his name has come up in trade talks previously. However, the fact that San Francisco is opening to trading three key defensive players shows just how dire the club's current financial situation is. According to Spotrac, the Niners are nearly $4.5 million over the cap when all contracts — not just the Top 51 — are considered.
The Niners lived off of their defense this past season, riding it to 13 wins and an NFC West division title. They also had a terrific running game, but the 49ers' bread and butter was shutting opposing offenses down.
We'll see if San Francisco's defense remains as dominant once the 2020 campaign rolls around if these key players do find new homes in the offseason.
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