The San Francisco 49ers are expected to be buyers at the trade deadline. While trading for Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson is not the flashiest move the team can make, it is the smartest. 

San Francisco 49ers Should Trade for A’Shawn Robinson

To start, the 49ers could use a wide receiver and an edge rusher. However, while both positions are thin, they are both expected to get significant starters back. Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, Deebo Samuel, and De’Zhaun Stribling could all be back in the lineup four weeks from now.

On the edge, they already got Mykel Williams back from injury, and Nick Bosa is expected to be back any week. However, they are not going to get Alfred Collins back this year, and run defense was already a weakness.

The 49ers currently rank 29th in success rate allowed on the ground. Because they lead in games and teams have to throw, it has not cost them. However, in tight playoff games, this flaw is big enough to end their season. 

They have to make a move, and Robinson makes the most sense. Most fans will want DeForest Buckner or Daron Payne. Those are big names, but they come with big price tags. Both are free agents after the year as well.

So, the 49ers can trade a notable draft pick and pay a decent chunk of their salary for a run at the playoffs. However, Robinson might bring exactly what the 49ers need, and he can do it a fraction of the cost.

Gracen Halton and Osa Odighizuwa are great pass rushers. They both struggle against the run. They do not need Buckner or Payne to replace one of them. They need a complementary run defender to take them off the field when they are not needed.

Buckner or Payne would limit the progress of Halton. Robinson would put Halton in better positions to succeed while maintaining a high snap count.

This season, Payne has eight run stops and a 7.8% stop rate. Buckner has seven run stops and a 6.7% stop rate. Robinson has seven run stops and a 9.7% stop rate. The difference is that Buckner has 19 pressures, Payne has 17, and Robinson has seven.

If San Francisco needed a game-changing starter or impact pass rusher, those options make a lot of sense. Their biggest issue is depth and run defense. When it comes to cost, fit, and need, Robinson checks every box.