Full Transcript for Guy Haberman on could the 49ers make another big defensive trade after DeForest Buckner move

games are serious, serious business and fun business at the same time. So he has a great feel for that. You know, I mean, like we get on the plane after the game on these road games before we are wheels up, he is watching the film, the all. 00:02:37 Speaker 2: 22 and, uh, wants to know. 00:02:40 Speaker 3: And he takes notes in game on every play. He takes notes as he's watching the film on every play. So by the time you get to Monday, you know, he is, he has basically watched the game. He'll, he'll tell you better than me, but he knows he, he sees it. And then he's in the building and he's going through it again. And he's talking to people. Um, So, I mean, it's no secret why he's so good. Like, in addition to all his natural skills, he puts in the work. He puts in the work, and it pays off. 00:03:08 Speaker 2: No doubt. 00:03:08 Speaker 1: You guys are a fun tandem. You guys already have great chemistry. 00:03:12 Speaker 2: I'll say this. When I go to a home game and I. 00:03:15 Speaker 1: Come into the stadium, there's really only two people I would like to touch base with before kickoff. 00:03:21 Speaker 2: Basically, I'm there to eat lunch. 00:03:24 Speaker 1: But before kickoff, I'd like to touch base with Chris Babcock, who is a wealth of information. And I'd love to touch base with Tim and get his insights on the game plan, the matchup, the challenge of the day. 00:03:39 Speaker 2: And those are the two guys I'd like to check in with. 00:03:42 Speaker 1: I mean, and you've got them sitting right there next to you, and you guys are doing an amazing job. Let's talk a little bit about the story of the day, which is that Jeffrey Simmons is now a Chicago Bear. 00:03:56 Speaker 2: Ryan Pohl's reacting to what the Niners did, possibly. 00:03:59 Speaker 1: It sounded like the Bears wanted to force Buckner and Buckner wanted the Niners. And so the Bears were kind of left at the altar and they desperately needed some help on defense. They've got an explosive offense, maybe one of the best offenses in football, but they don't have much of a defense. And they let Jervon Dexter go to Atlanta in the offseason. They traded him over there. That was very surprising. Dexter's playing well in Atlanta. They left a big hole. 00:04:23 Speaker 2: On the Bear front. 00:04:24 Speaker 1: But man, what do you think of that price tag? Two number ones and a fourth. for Simmons and I believe a fifth coming back. What do you, what do you think of the deal? 00:04:32 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:04:32 Speaker 3: I mean, it's it's, you could understand, you know, why they wanted Buckner for a fraction of the cost of finance. Now you, you know, you, you have this guy for a few more years and he's one of the best players in the league, but it's funny. I was talking to Nick Wagner a couple of weeks ago. 00:04:45 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:04:46 Speaker 3: A couple of weeks ago. And he brought up Simmons and he brought up Mac Jones. It's like, well, maybe, you know, Robert Sala can't afford to wait. He needs to just start winning football games. immediately and maybe Mac Jones can sweeten that pot for them. But they obviously wanted the picks. And I don't know if the Niners would, would do that or offered that. But the point is that you just knew they were, you know, Tennessee had a, was operating from a position of strength. And when you start with deadlines, November 10th, there's just a lot of time for people to talk and you know, it's late. So there's just a lot of time to drive up demand. And, and I think you're right. Like it, it gets ratcheted up when you, when somebody else makes the first move at defensive line. So I, it's a very high price to pay. I, my first thought, and this is not as interesting from like a playoff perspective was just like, gosh, isn't it funny, Larry? Like you, you just, everybody, if you're not competing for a championship, you're just trying to load up the draft, the next quarterback. And the odds of that guy being the guy are just so low. And then you just run the cycle again and again. And again, I understand why, some GMs go, obviously the picks are valuable. They're so valuable. They're the lifeblood of building for the future, reigniting at a cost-effective way, your team. But if you, if you are, there's two worlds in the NFL and one is the team's trying to find the next quarterback. And the other is the team's trying to win championships. Like to me, those are the two categories. And it's more than half the teams in the league that are trying to find the next quarterback. And some of them have a quarterback, but they kind of know already he's not the quarterback, right? And that is a, God, that's a miserable place to be, I think, because now if you're Tennessee, you're loading up on picks for who? 00:06:33 Speaker 2: For what? Right. 00:06:35 Speaker 3: It's, you know, and you want, oh, well, we can use these picks and all these other things. Great, but you're still going to need that quarterback. 00:06:41 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it's a tough call. 00:06:43 Speaker 1: I mean, and then if you're a team like the Jets that's looking for the quarterback, but you've got, you know, Garrett Wilson, do you cross the bridge of trading Garrett Wilson in the same year you're. 00:06:53 Speaker 2: Looking for the quarterback? 00:06:55 Speaker 1: When you know that Garrett Wilson could help make that quarterback successful. So you also, you got those teams that are kind of maybe on the fence as we get closer to the deadline on non quarterbacks, whether or not to trade them or not. 00:07:07 Speaker 3: I wouldn't do it if I were the jets. Cause I, cause I'm with you. Like the second you get the quarterback, you need somebody to throw it to. But I think the bear, you know, the, the, I do understand the bears trade paying the high price from this perspective. I think it's a little bit of a, maybe it's reaction for sure. But I do understand if they look out at the NFC and go, why not us this year, right? You've

got the Niners. Seattle looks like maybe they figured it out. Maybe they're going to start winning games now in a way that kind of matches the expectations. The Rams are down, clearly. Maybe they'll pull their way back in, but it's a long haul for them. Minnesota, who scored congrats on scoring another touchdown last week. So I do understand if you're Chicago going, okay, maybe this is really expensive, but you know, why do we have to wait until people think we're ready to win a championship to go win the NFC? Why can't we just go do it? Maybe we should just go try and do it right now. So I do get it from that standpoint. If you're, if you're the bears, like I can see how the NFC looks wide open. You know, the Niners were, you know, the best team, but they are from an injury standpoint. Can they, can I keep it going? And you went toe to toe with them at their place last year, right? If you're the bears, you're like, we just, We just went at it with the 49ers last year. I know teams are different, circumstances are different, but from that perspective, I do get it. Why don't you think, hey, we can go win this thing if you're Chicago? 00:08:37 Speaker 1: It sends a loud message to, I think, everybody, but it sends a loud message about the Bears' intentions, but it also sends a loud message maybe to the 49ers that, hey, you know what? Chicago looks at it as their go year, so they're looking at your injuries going, you're older and you're injured. 00:08:55 Speaker 2: And you're going to be more injured. And this is our opportunity. 00:08:58 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:08:58 Speaker 1: Like almost like the bears are saying, Hey, 49ers, you're on top right now, but we don't believe in you. 00:09:05 Speaker 2: It's kind of an interesting time. 00:09:07 Speaker 1: It kind of points the, the, the, you know, throws the ball back in John Lynch's court. John made the big trade for DeForest Buckner. He gets them at a very, very palatable price. A fourth, fourth round pick. I love the pickup on a lot of fronts. I think it's, I think he's a really good player. We know he fits in the locker room. We know it fits the culture. But I'll be devil's advocate here because I've gotten some pushback in the last 24 hours from people going, hey, they had a three tech in Osa. They had a three tech in Halton. Now they're just adding another three tech. What they really needed was the one tech. 00:09:40 Speaker 2: They needed the A. 00:09:41 Speaker 1: Sean Robinson, the nose guard, the plugger, the guy who can keep bodies off of Warner and Greenlaw on that second level. 00:09:50 Speaker 2: What do you think? 00:09:51 Speaker 1: How do you see the fit of Buckner on the line that he walks into? 00:09:56 Speaker 3: I think there's a lot of legitimacy to that saying they need a nose tackle I don't think there's any question that that would have that would have also been good but I think you're just getting a really good player and I thought you know I mentioned Nick Wagner I talked to

him on Wednesday and um you know one thing he pointed out was how high both Osa and Buckner are in the top 20 in the league in double teams like they both get double teamed about three quarters of the time And so if you put them on the field together, it creates an opportunity and then you bring Bosa back and that creates an opportunity. So I just think they got better. Like they clearly got better. Would nose tackle have made them better? The right guy? Yeah, that would have made them better too. There's not any one way to get better. And now they've got depth on their defensive line. Like all of a sudden you look out and you notice who's not on the field as opposed to, oh, Valdez is out there and Valdez has done well. So I'm not, but like now there's more guys than spots, which is, great like the Niners need to operate from that position where they have a lot of players more players who belong on the field who can fit on the field because you know something you know something else will happen just the nature of it so I just look at it like they got better and I think that's probably the way they were looking at it too and to your point what an easy trade to make a fourth round pick for DeForest Buckner. 00:11:09 Speaker 1: Yeah slam dunk slam I mean he's playing at a very high level I saw him early in the year in a game and I thought wow he looks almost the same as he did back in the day now he's He's got sacks. 00:11:19 Speaker 2: He's got pressures. He's really a pass rusher. His numbers against the run. 00:11:23 Speaker 1: I was watching your podcast the other day and you had some phenomenal numbers across the board, the PFF numbers. And I think you said, and this is just my recall now, but like 14th against the pass and like 95th against the run or 96, something like that. So he's a better pass rusher at this juncture than a run defender. But either way, I think he's going to give this line depth and talent. And he's also playing a lot. He's led the Colts in snaps played, which I thought was interesting. Here, with the rotation being as deep as it is, he'd probably play less snaps. Maybe instead of 60-65, he might play 30-35 here. And that means maybe a better even version of Defoe than the Colts even got. 00:12:07 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, he was third. I think he not was, is third in the league in snaps among interior defensive linemen. So he's been on the field. And you're right. I mean, I think that that run his run grade even going back to last year took a took a big dip but you know he dealt with a neck issue last year he missed part of the season last year with this neck injury um he contemplated retirement i think because of that that neck injury so you know if you where's a neck injury gonna and i don't know that he's that it's affecting him now but where's a neck injury gonna affect you in the run game for sure so i don't know if definitively that those two things are connected, but I know that he, you know, it was a major issue for him last year. So the fact that he's back playing at the level that he's playing is pretty impressive. 00:12:54 Speaker 2: Yeah, no question. 00:12:55 Speaker 1: Guy Haberman with us on the UMA guest line as we talk little Niners during the bye week. 00:12:59 Speaker 2: All right. 00:13:00 Speaker 1: I always like to take note of what I, the people that I think are smart that are out in the media and what they're saying. One guy that I really enjoy is Ted Wynn from The Athletic, and he's got an article out with like seven or eight, you know, possible trades and everybody's kind of guessing. But one of the ones he threw out was interesting, and you kind of fed into it bringing up Mac Jones. He's got Mac Jones to the Vikings for third and fifth round picks. 00:13:24 Speaker 2: It just seems so unlike. 00:13:25 Speaker 1: The Niners to get off of Jones for picks, but they're going to lose him at the end of the year and most likely get a third. So this would be coughing him up early to the Vikings for a third and a fifth. 00:13:36 Speaker 2: I just don't see why. 00:13:38 Speaker 1: The same reason I don't understand why the Vikings would help the Niners. 00:13:42 Speaker 2: I don't see why the Niners... would help the Vikings. 00:13:45 Speaker 1: I guess this trade would make more sense to me if it were like Mac Jones to the Vikings for Juwan Jennings and a pick or two, because then both teams are kind of like taking a chance by giving an existing player to a team that they're competing with for the Super Bowl in the same conference. But what do you think of the idea? If you said to me, are the Niners going to trade Mac Jones? I would say 95% chance no. But the fact that Ted Wynn's throwing it out there makes me kind of pause. And then you mentioned Wagner kind of brought that up, and I'm a huge fan of Wagner. I think he covers the Niners as well and is as deeply as anybody. 00:14:27 Speaker 2: What do you think? Is Jones here, or do you think the Niners are open to moving Jones? 00:14:31 Speaker 3: Well, I think they've got to be open to it, and I think he's here. First of all, by the way, Mack is just like the greatest teammate. 00:14:41 Speaker 2: Ever the best cracks everybody up. Everybody loves him. 00:14:45 Speaker 3: I don't hear it. Speaking of speaking to T-Rock him and T-Rock get along very well. But I think that both those guys get along with everybody, but you know, the interesting part about it too, right? Everyone knows the Niners play the Vikings in less than a month. So you're talking about sending the Vikings who, as we do this are undefeated and one of your big, you know, one of your big, you know, competitions in the NFC. sending them you know you could but you could help them get home field essentially if you send them Mac Jones while you're fighting for the one seed so I don't think a third and a fifth is enough to to get you to do all of those things not just get you to trade Mac Jones to a rival but get you to trade away

you've held on to this incredible safety net which is what Mac Jones is and you know to me the way the Niners are going it's not about can Mac Jones go five and three in eight starts? It's like, you, do you need them for a game? Do you need them for a half? Do you need them for a critical drive? Think about, and it's a little bit different. You don't see it as much with quarterbacks, but imagine a game where something happens where Brock Purdy misses just as much time as Christian McCaffrey missed in the Falcons game. Like it's like a quarter and a half, right. Or whatever it was in that quarter of a half, the Niners fumbled twice. Like, So if you need your backup quarterback to play a quarter and a half in Kansas city or whatever game that items are playing here, you can't turn it over twice. So I just think there's probably a price for Mac Jones, but I think of Mac Jones a lot. Like you think of, you know, a car that you have that the Kelly blue book for it is just not, it's just worth so much to you because you value it. 00:16:28 Speaker 2: It, it, It's getting you to work every day or whatever. 00:16:30 Speaker 3: You've taken care of it. You know, it's just reliable. You know, it's better value than other people might view it as. And it's better for you than it might be for somebody else. So, you know, I think Kevin O'Connell is an excellent coach. I think if you're Mac Jones, Minnesota would be on your short list of places you want to go. And maybe you want to go there in the off season. You know, if you're Mac, you kind of think about it. Like I love being here, but. if I could go somewhere, prove my worth for half a season and get that place to pay me, that'd be pretty great. Although we already saw, you know, they didn't, they didn't want to pay Darnold after Darnold basically did the same thing. So I think it would make a ton of sense for Minnesota. Like if I'm Minnesota, I run to make that trade. If I'm the Niners, I don't, but I think it's a really creative trade from Ted and it does, it does pique your interest. I just, I don't think to me, a third and a fifth is not enough to a help arrival and be give away this great, you know, safety net I have. And if that means Mac Jones leaves at the end of the year, so be it. 00:17:29 Speaker 1: But yeah, I don't think, I don't think I would give away Mac Jones, um, for a third and a fifth and nothing in the present. I mean, if I'm moving Mac Jones to a team, that's going to, he's obviously going to help the Vikings in the present. 00:17:45 Speaker 2: I got to have a player that's going to help me in the present. 00:17:47 Speaker 3: Uh, turn around and use that third on, we never see three team trades in the NFL, but you turn around and use that third on you. Like to me, Mac Jones, I mean, uh, uh, Khalil Mack, even that price, the third, I think is too high a price to pay for Khalil Mack. But, you know, you could argue you do that trade so that it's essentially trading Mack for Mack. You know,

maybe somebody would make that case. 00:18:11 Speaker 2: You know, that's interesting. 00:18:12 Speaker 1: So, yeah, if you did get picks back and then you could spin those picks into a player that you could utilize to help you in the Super Bowl, I think that would make sense. Another guy that I have great respect for is Matt Barrows, and he listed Yaya Diaby, Will McDonald, and Josh Sweat as pass rushers the Niners could potentially trade for. He says the Cardinals' asking price for Sweat is a second-round pick. Would Monty Austin Ford deal Sweat in the division? That's a big question. I do have a scouting buddy back east who told me that he believes the Niners and the Seahawks are both on the lookout for Yaya Diaby from Tampa, who had three sacks last week against Carolina. He's a young pass rusher was at Louisville. He's 270 pounds. He's not old. 00:18:53 Speaker 2: He's still on his rookie deal. 00:18:56 Speaker 1: I don't know. 00:18:56 Speaker 2: What do you think? 00:18:58 Speaker 1: If you had to, do you think Lynch is apt to make another move or do you think he's made the move he's made? 00:19:03 Speaker 2: And that's, and that's going to be it. 00:19:05 Speaker 3: I think he's apt to make another move for sure. And I think the interesting thing about the obvious, like he kind of fits the profile of, I mean, he's a different, he's not the same profile as say like Keon white, but this idea of like, Hey, here's just a player we like that makes us better and maybe makes us, maybe we can keep him around for another year. And, you know, I like, I think Keon White's a great example of not everything has to be a splash and it can be help now and help later. So I, like, I think players that fit that, that bill or they just might like players. We like, what did John Lynch say about Keon White? He's like the scouts were like, here's a, here's a guy that can really help us. And we think we'll fit in really well with us. Like he's going to be a good player for us because we think he's a fit. So I I, I just have heard those guys talk about John Lynch specifically, just making the team better so many times that I don't think there's any doubt. Like, I think it's great to look at a team and go, but this team and go, well, when Nick Bosa comes back, then X, Y, Z happens, but there's no guarantee that Nick Bosa is just back and then permanently back and just healthy. So you could find yourself on November 22nd needing another, like wishing you had another pass rusher, right? I think they probably look at it like you can't have enough. 00:20:18 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think that's the way I would look at it as well. You know, one of the things I heard John tell Murph and Marcus on KMBR, and of course John stops by on Thursdays in the 8 o'clock hour with Murph and Marcus on the Sports Leader. It's a must watch or must listen to segment for sure. If you guys aren't making that a schedule, making an event of, Your Thursday mornings, make sure, because Lynch with the boys in the morning is really, really good. One of the things he said a couple weeks ago was that, you know, he'd like to make a deal kind of like the Keyon White deal. 00:20:45 Speaker 2: Okay, so what is the Keyon White deal? 00:20:46 Speaker 1: It was a sixth round pick from the Niners going to New England for a player that wasn't necessarily a scheme fit there, wasn't really playing at all there. And Keyon White was just a year or so removed from being a second round pick. So the value was tremendous there. from the Niners, they also got a player that they controlled beyond that year. They, they owned him last year, but then they got to use him this year. And, you know, to your point, I mean, he's emerged as arguably the Niners best all around defensive lineman. I mean, he's been really, really good. I bring that up because I'm looking at the list of guys that people say are available and I'm reading all the ESPN articles about, you know, who's potentially out there. And there's a guy out there in Shamar Stewart in Cincinnati who is, I really loved it. A and M he got a ton of pressure. It didn't get a lot of sex, but he was a first round pick. The talk is though that the Bengals are going to move him maybe for a day three pick. And now you're starting to, now you're starting to remind me of the Shamar Stewart or Shamar are the key on white trade in that, Hey, could you trade a sixth round pick or a fifth round pick or some combination of day three capital to the Bengals who are already super loaded? Um, for a Shamar Stewart and get a first round talent for a day three price and hand him over to Chris Kocerec and say, Chris, see what you can make of him. I mean, he's awfully talented and, and it's a, that, that would be a below market value. Any day three pick for Shamar Stewart, I think is a kind of a steal. 00:22:17 Speaker 2: What do you think of that idea? Yeah. 00:22:18 Speaker 3: I mean, if you like the guy, like, I think that's probably as simple as go back to what their draft evaluations were. Yeah. 00:22:25 Speaker 2: Like Stewart, you mean on Stewart? 00:22:26 Speaker 3: Yeah. But, I mean, they've done stuff like that. I feel like they've done deals like that before. Like, here's a guy we like, and let's see. Especially given how hard it is to nail those picks at the end of the first round where the Niners have been drafting. Now, he was, what, the 17th pick? But it's just, you know, I think about DeForest. Like, I understood the logic then. I understand the logic now. The funny thing about DeForest Buckner, who the Niners traded away, like, you're constantly just trying to get guys like that, and they're so hard to get. Premium. defensive lineman in their primes which is what he was you know and um they tried to play chess on that one understandably and it didn't totally work but uh yeah it's just i just feel like those the talent on the defensive line is so hard to get the premium guys and truly the bozos you can't

get unless you're drafting like second right you just can't get them. 00:23:20 Speaker 1: They don't you don't even draft them they kind of just fall to you it's like almost like an nba draft situation One last one before we let you go. 00:23:27 Speaker 2: Jack Jones was released, and he needed to be released. He was playing really poorly. 00:23:31 Speaker 1: He was being attacked on 30% of the snaps he was playing. 00:23:35 Speaker 2: They were going at him. 00:23:36 Speaker 1: He wasn't standing up. He'd given up a lot of negative plays, and he was starting to become a target. But it does kind of leave them a little thin at a very important spot, corner. There's been talk about Reek Wolin is available. Could you see Howie Roseman and Lynch hooking up on a deal? for either a Reek Wolin or a Hollywood Brown or a Dontavion Wicks. What do you see if the Niners could add one more piece? Do you look at it like Barrows and say, hey, it's an edge rusher? Do you look at it like, hey, Jack Jones was moved. They really could use another corner. Is it the receiver? If there was one piece to add, what position do you think makes sense to you? 00:24:15 Speaker 3: I'd love for it to be a receiver, but that feels like it's last on that list of three. Just because I think they... I think it's really hard to just plug a guy into this offense. I think we've seen it with Cooks. This is a real pro. I've heard Cooks is one of the hardest workers. A buddy of mine who played with him somewhere else is one of the best locker room guys and hardest workers you can find. And he'd been in some version of the offense before, and still it's taking time. I still hold out some hope that it might happen just because it took about a month last year in Buffalo, and then he really got involved. But I think Corner is going to get a lot of help. Hopefully, if Upton Stout is healthy by the time they get back for that Raider game, that'll be a big deal. 00:24:55 Speaker 2: Nate Hobbs, possibly, maybe, I'm thinking. 00:24:57 Speaker 3: You know, somebody texted me about Nate Hobbs yesterday. Like, is he going to be– I didn't think he looked great before he was on IR. 00:25:08 Speaker 2: Didn't have a great camp. Did not have a great camp. 00:25:11 Speaker 3: And, you know, you only get– the way the Niners have had to juggle IR already this year, are you going to use one of your IR activations on him? I didn't think– yeah, you were there. You saw every snap he took in camp. 00:25:23 Speaker 1: I didn't even notice him most of camp. 00:25:26 Speaker 2: I felt like he really did not shine. 00:25:28 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I think you asked the question that I've asked and haven't gotten the answer to yet is would the Niners want to do a deal with Howie Roseman? Would Howie Roseman want to do a deal with the 49ers? I think Howie at this point is probably in full-on like how do we– acquire as many picks as possible mode right you know so i i think he'd probably do it um and i think you i think

they'd probably do it like especially the idea of reek woolen being a niner is kind of intriguing but i don't know part of me for whatever reason i just feel like an eagles niners trade feels feels unlikely yeah wrong sure unlikely uh yeah no. 00:26:11 Speaker 1: It does but you know the eagles haven't been in this position but you they already moved jurgens for a pick and if they could get a pick I think they have some guys that there's a trust that Lynch has with Roseman. 00:26:21 Speaker 2: Teams, GMs deal with guys they trust. Last thought. 00:26:24 Speaker 3: And those two guys do a lot of deals, right? If you just go like, who does the most trades around this time, it's Howie and John Lynch. 00:26:30 Speaker 1: Right. And they're both very confident in where they're at. John's confident that the window's open right now. Howie, I think, is confident that he's got rings on his fingers, but he also knows that this isn't their year. And if they're players on the margins, I could see Howie being eager to move them. 00:26:46 Speaker 2: Last thought. Mike Evans, what do you think, Mike Evans? Are you as concerned as I am? 00:26:53 Speaker 1: I think Mike Evans is going to have a hard time making it to Super Bowl Sunday, even if the Niners get there. And there's been talk about guys like Brian Thomas and Jerry Judy. And it's like, do the Niners, are the Niners sniffing around these boundary X type players? I mean, that's what Brian Thomas Jr. 00:27:14 Speaker 3: Is. 00:27:14 Speaker 2: He's a boundary X wide receiver. 00:27:16 Speaker 1: Are they sniffing around these boundary X wide receivers because they think maybe Evans isn't going to make it and they want to have a replacement who can also play that boundary X. 00:27:26 Speaker 2: They seem redundant. 00:27:27 Speaker 1: If Evans is going to be healthy and ready, but when you're hearing these Brian Thomas rumors, I immediately think maybe they know more about Evans physical situation than we do. And maybe that's an insurance policy against Evans rupturing the Achilles. I hate to even introduce that concept, but, What is your concern level. 00:27:47 Speaker 2: On Evans' ability to just play the schedule? 00:27:50 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's high. Like, we'll see coming off the bye, does he play against the Raiders? And if he doesn't play against the Raiders, then I think you've got to be pretty concerned. If he plays against the Raiders and gets through that game okay, then you feel a lot better. But, you know, Achilles tendonitis, and you mentioned barrows, like, it's not a rib injury. It's not a pain injury. it's not just about pain tolerance. You worry about what's the next thing and how do you stave off that next thing, which you dared mention. And like, I, this is just me having observed Achilles that, you know, you just watching football for the last several years. It feels like if you're them, the move is you wait as long as possible to bring him back. Right. Right. And what does that mean? We're in late October. Does that mean we don't see him until December? Like if you told me at this point, he comes back in December and then it's just back or roll the dice and maybe he comes back next week. Like I'd love for him to be back, but I'd probably just take the, if there's no sure thing, but I would take that. I would take just when he's back, have him stay back. That would be the move because I think he is the key. He is the difference between winning a championship and not winning a championship because he is just that true. Number one, it doesn't matter if I'm covered. It doesn't matter if you've game planned for me. It doesn't matter if it's third and 13. It doesn't matter if the protection breaks down to hear Kyle Shanahan talk a few weeks ago about Mike Evans, the way he talked about him, which is basically for a guy who's so married to, Hey, there's a way to do things. And if we do things the right way, the play is going to work. But in this case, just throw it to Mike. And we saw it play out that way. Like there were multiple throws in that Seattle game where it was clear that That wasn't close, but it looked like he was just going to throw it to Mike Evans no matter what. And if they went out of bounds on third and long and they had to punch, so be it. He's just so different. He is so different. And to me, like you put, I just think I keep thinking about Mike Evans in the context of like the 2023 Superbowl. 00:29:51 Speaker 1: Right. 00:29:52 Speaker 3: And it's just like, if you have that guy who doesn't matter, if a rusher comes free on third and seven, or if Trent McDuffie's on them or whatever, you just give them a shot. And I, I just think you have to have them healthy for the games that matter, but you can't just start giving away games and which they're not going to do. Like you got to keep winning these games. So anyway, that, yeah, the concern level's high. 00:30:16 Speaker 2: Yeah. He's one of those guys, red zone, third down. 00:30:21 Speaker 1: The guy makes plays, and even when he's covered, he's open. So, I mean, if you can get him back, get him back. But, yeah, I agree with you. If you can hold him out as long as possible, as you get closer to the finish line, that would be the move I would make. 00:30:33 Speaker 2: But it will be interesting to see what kind of wide receiver they add, if they do add one. 00:30:38 Speaker 1: Guy, awesome stuff, man. Enjoy the rest of your bye week. Thanks for jumping on KBR. 00:30:42 Speaker 2: Thanks, Larry. 00:30:42 Speaker 3: Good to see you, man. 00:30:43 Speaker 2: Good to see you. Guy Haberman, more straight ahead. It's Niners nightly on the Sports Leader.