The most consequential trade of the 2021 season (and possibly beyond) was casually dropped onto the NFL landscape Friday. As first reported by Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers are shipping the No. 12 pick, their third-round pick in 2021, and their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to Miami for the No. 3 selection, presumably to draft one of the top three passers in next month’s draft.
Moments after that deal was consecrated, a follow-up trade was completed that, while not on the same level as its meaty appetizer, foists its own tantalizing ripple effects onto the upcoming season and added to the overall excitement of the day.