The San Francisco 49ers don't want to cut receiver Marquise Goodwin but could trade him to another club.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Goodwin has been discussed in trade talks, per sources informed of the situation.
The deep threat played nine games in 2019 before going on injured reserve with a knee injury. He had just 12 catches for 186 yards and one score in those nine bouts.
Since busting out for 962 yards in 2017, the speedy wideout hasn't been the same, and injuries have kept Goodwin off the field for stretches.
Still, NFL teams always scour for speed, and Goodwin has it in spades when healthy.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, coach Kyle Shanahan noted the 49ers wouldn't cut Goodwin but could be open to trading the wideout.
The question is whether any team is willing to part with an asset for a player who has missed 12 games over the past two years.
Goodwin is set to earn a base salary of $3.95 million in 2020 and $6.45 million in 2021. That's a tradable contract this year if another team wants to gamble the 29-year-old can stay healthy. The Niners would save $3.656 million in cap space with just $1.25 million in dead money by releasing or trading the receiver.
Deebo Samuel's emergence gives the Niners some confidence to move on from Goodwin, and Kendrick Bourne is another player who could see more snaps in 2020. Former second-round pick Dante Pettis has talent but enters a make-or-break season after a disappointing 2019 campaign. Slot receiver Trent Taylor hopes to return to form after missing the entire season due to injury.
The Niners have a good young corps but lack a stabilizing veteran presence currently under contract, which is likely one cause of Shanahan's insistence that the 49ers wouldn't outright cut Goodwin. With Emmanuel Sanders hitting free agency, the Niners are in the market for a veteran starter and could also dip into a deep draft class at the position.
