Why settle for less? The San Francisco 49ers came into the season with a supposedly fierce defense and an offense full of offensive weapons. However, the last three games have exposed the team's soft underbelly on defense. If their pass-rush isn't able to get to the quarterback, their entire defense falls apart.

Because of that, the team looked to improve at the trade deadline. They went ahead and traded for Washington Commanders EDGE Chase Young during their bye week. However, that's not the only move they attempted. According to a report by Adam Schefter, the 49ers tried to trade for other big name defenders. That includes a couple of secondary players in Broncos CB Patrick Surtain and Bears CB Jaylon Johnson.

“The 49ers went big-game hunting at the NFL trade deadline, checking on the availability of Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson and then-Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat, among others, sources told ESPN. The cost of all three players ultimately turned out to be too high for the 49ers, who thought that they wouldn't be able to make a deal to improve their team with just hours remaining before the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Oct. 31.”

Considering the price that they paid to acquire Young, it makes sense why these players were over the 49ers' “spending budget”. San Francisco sent a third-round pick for the Commanders pass-rusher: a total steal if you consider the latter's potential. Meanwhile, the two cornerbacks mentioned were premier commodities that Denver and Chicago wouldn't part with unless it's a significant haul.

While much of the talk around the 49ers' revolves around Brock Purdy and his regression, their defense deserves just as much scrutiny. Over the last three games, San Francisco's vaunted front four struggled to get pressure against their opponents. As a result, their already suspect coverage defense got heavily exposed. Losing to Joe Burrow's Bengals is one thing, but losing to PJ Walker and the Browns? That's entirely unacceptable.

The 49ers are hoping that the bye week gives them ample time to hammer out the chinks in their defense. Can the once-dominant defense find their groove once again?