Trade alert: DT Buckner dealt for Colts pick
Arik Armstead gets 5-year deal
As DeForest Buckner’s career trajectory climbed to an All-Pro level, so did his value, which the Indianapolis Colts were more willing to meet than the 49ers, a league source confirmed.
In a shocking trade, the 49ers agreed to deal the fourth-year defensive tackle in exchange for the Colts’ first-round draft pick, No. 13 overall on Monday.
Buckner will garner $21 million annually on his new deal, according to ESPN and NFL Network.
That news broke just as the 49ers confirmed signing a multiyear deal with Arik Armstead, who had been Buckner’s teammate since their University of Oregon days and preceded him as a 49ers’ first-round draft pick.
Buckner arrived in 2016, a year after Armstead, with star potential, and he’s since proved worthy of the fortune now bestowed upon by the Colts.
The trade can not become official until the league year starts Wednesday at 1 p.m., so the 49ers are not expected to confirm nor comment on it. Buckner’s agent, Joel Segal, did not immediately return a request seeking comment, but Buckner confirmed the news via social media.
“I want to thank the 49ers for taking a chance on me four years ago. It’s been one hell of a journey,from 2-14 my rookie year to the Super Bowl this past season,” Buckner wrote, addressing coaches, teammates, staff and fans. ” I just want to thank you all for helping me grow as a man, friend and teammate. The Faithful will always have a speical place in my heart.
“Colts Nation, I can’t wait to get this thing rollin.’ I’m bringing everything I got to Indy.!!”
Buckner was to make $12.3 million this season on the fifthyear option of his rookie deal. Now he will be the league’s second-highest paid defensive tackle behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald.
The 49ers now have two firstround draft picks, Nos. 13 and 31. That tradeable equity helps offset the loss of their second-, third- and fourth-round picks they traded away last year for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and defensive end Dee Ford.
He’s gradually gained recognition around the league, and his influence on a dynamic defensive front last season led to Associated Press’ Second-Team All-Pro honors. His interior presence was unmistakable while being complemented by fellow linemen Armstead, Ford and Nick Bosa.
The 49ers’ coaches thought so much of Buckner they named him the Bill Walsh Award winner, an MVP-like honor that represents the standard of professional excellence instituted by the former coach.
After totaling a career-high 12 sacks in 2018, Buckner had 7 ½ this past regular season and 2 ½ in the playoffs, including 1 ½ in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He recovered five fumbles on the season, the last coming in the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.
DE Armstead agrees to 5-year deal
A year ago, Arik Armstead’s $9 million salary seemed like
a gamble, until his careerbest season unfolded for the eventual NFC champion 49ers.
Now comes a bigger investment. Armstead, the 49ers’ 2015 first-round draft pick, agreed to a five-year contract worth up to $85 million Monday, the day free agency began for NFL players.
The 49ers opted for that commitment rather than a franchise tag and its accompanying price tag of approximately $17.8 million. With his new deal, Armstead will earn an average of $17 million per season.
Armstead, 26, played out his contract year to near perfection last season. He stayed healthy, produced better than ever and made his fifth season on the 49ers his most impactful.
“I’m excited to continue my career with the 49ers, the organization that gave
me a chance by drafting me five years ago,” Armstead said in a statement released by the 49ers. “They have given me the platform to give back to my community and play the game I love at the highest level, and I am just getting started.”
The Elk Grove native not only started every game this past season, he emerged as a complementary piece of arguably the NFL’s most feared defensive front, bolstered by the additions of edge rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford.
Armstead had a fairly quiet Super Bowl (three tackles, one quarterback hit). He did produce a sack in each of their NFC playoff wins, after racking up a team-high 10 during the regular season, all of which came before their five-game December gauntlet.
Was Armstead’s careerbest year a flash in the pan? A fluke? The definition of a contract year? Unlikely.
That said, he totaled just nine sacks in his previous four seasons, two of which
were halted by the midway point because of injuries (shoulder, 2016; hand, 2017).
Sacks don’t define a lineman’s worth, even if they can be game-changing plays. Armstead’s availability and versatility were vital. So was his forced fumble that set up the 49ers’ winning touchdown in a home-opening comeback over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His hard work paid off the past two seasons, and his position versatility became especially valuable as injuries elsewhere tested the 49ers’ depth.
“It was an honor to play with the team this year and go through all the adversity individually and team-wise we have over the years, and be a part of turning this organization around and going to a Super Bowl,” Armstead added at last month’s locker cleanout. “There’s a lot of positive things about this year. I’m just happy and excited to be part of it and play a big role on the team.”