With a new CBA in place and free agency opening last Wednesday, the action has been fast and furious with teams trying to improve their franchises. With an increased cap number, teams can now actually act instead of guessing or pretending. Teams are leaving no stone unturned and no player not discussed among the team’s front office and coaches. Teams have been shelling out money hand over fist and the players are the benefactors. So let’s jump right into the offseason frenzy!
One of the biggest moves of the new season was a trade between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts. This is usually a time where free agents headline the change of scenery news, but this year we have seen more trades than usual, especially when it comes to star players.
This trade has the star power, the first-round pick involved and was a bit of surprise to a lot of us. Here is the big trade we are about to discuss. The San Francisco 49ers traded star stud defensive tackle, DeForest Buckner, and in return, they would receive the Colts’ 2020 first-round pick (13th overall). A big trade for both, with both getting impact pieces for their teams.
Buckner was entering the final season of his rookie contract and outplayed the deal in every way possible, on and off the field. Just three days before they traded him, they adjusted his fifth-year option from $14.36 million to $12.37 million, which qualifies him as a defensive tackle instead of a defensive end. Now if you follow the contract side of the game closely, you know that there is roughly a $4 million difference between the two positions, where the franchise tag is concerned. Apparently the Niners and Buckner were far apart in negotiations and San Francisco decided to part ways with the star defender. Indianapolis had no issues with paying Buckner his worth as they agreed to an extension of $21 million per year, putting him being paid just behind Aaron Donald.
During his four years in the Bay area, Buckner was everything as advertised and more. He played and started 63 games out of a possible 64. He was a member of the All-Rookie team in 2016 and an All-Pro in 2018. The 49ers drafted Buckner in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, with the seventh overall pick, and made him the cornerstone piece that they would build their defense around. He would record 263 tackles, 163 solos, 38 tackles for a loss, 28.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 11 PBUs. He was a force for San Francisco from day one, all the way through his time there.
What the Indianapolis Colts get is a game-changing, impact player, with experience, that they just weren’t going to get with the 13th pick in the upcoming draft. It’s not every day that you can get a player that is considered among the top 3 at their position, so when the opportunity presents itself and the price is right, you do it. Buckner will instantly plug-in as a starting defensive tackle for Indianapolis in their 4-3 scheme. However, his versatility to kick out to defensive end will be extremely valuable to the Colts defense. This will allow them to get creative and play the match-up game. He’ll give them a run-stopping force upfront that the Colts have been needing for some time, as well as being one of the league’s top interior pass rushers. He has active hands and will get them up in passing lanes, making it as difficult as possible for quarterbacks to make plays.
Buckner is an elite player and makes everyone around him better. One thing that really intrigues me about this move for Buckner is that he gets to move back to defensive tackle. Why you ask? Well for me I believe he’s a much better player when playing on the interior as opposed to the edge. Just look at the past two seasons, wherein 2018 Buckner played exclusively as a defensive tackle and 2019 as both a defensive tackle and defensive end.
Provided By: Pro Football Reference
As you can see his pass rush numbers were much better in 2018. This is mostly due to the fact that he doesn’t have to face elite offensive tackles when playing inside. Buckner’s pass-rushing numbers were much more impactful in 2018 than when he kicked out to defensive end in 2019. Now factor in that he is moving to the AFC South where teams place a “BIG” (Derrick Henry & Leonard Fournette) emphasis on running the ball and Buckner’s value is for sure to trend upwards. His 2018 numbers as a pass rusher standout in a big way, with 12 sacks, 34 pressures, 20 QB hits, 15 hurries and six knockdowns. Even the league’s best guards have a hard time handling Buckner, as opposed to offensive tackles. It’s all about the matchups at this level and Buckner on the interior is a win every time.
For fantasy owners, you can continue to expect the same dominance at a position where value is extremely hard to find. Buckner is DT1, DE1, DL1 and is a must-own in all IDP fantasy leagues. His top value will come in position-specific leagues that require you to start defensive tackles and sacks are scored heavily. The change of teams for Buckner doesn’t hurt his value at all. In fact, it may actually increase his value, as the Colts aren’t as good of a team overall, that the 49ers are. This means he should see more snaps, due to the Colts offense not being as good as San Francisco’s.
Buckner is a sack machine and will get a good amount of tackles for fantasy owners. If you own Buckner, you should be able to get a good haul for him in trades, but if you are trying to acquire him, be expected to pay a premium. As with any trade, no one values any player the same, but Buckner is an elite player at a position that has few top-end scorers. Set your value of him for your team and make an offer based on that. If an owner wants more, then you might be overpaying.
Thanks for reading my article and if you enjoyed it, you can read more of my articles here. You can also follow me on social media, on Twitter at Hollywood@DFF_DWin, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub I’m user KingTitan1 and you can tune in each week and listen to the podcasts, IDP Nation that I co-host, on a number of different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
