SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The 49ers and New England Patriots, who got together on the NFL's biggest trade last season, struck another deal Friday, one that sent tackle Trent Brown east for a Day 2 draft selection.
According to ESPN, the 49ers received New England's third-round pick _ the 31st in the round _ in exchange for Brown, who is entering the final year of his contract, and the 49ers' fifth-round pick, which is the sixth pick in the round. Brown became expendable Thursday when the 49ers used their first-round pick on Mike McGlinchey.
The 49ers now have three picks in the third round _ Nos. 6, 10 and 31 _ as well as the 27th pick in the second round. That's plenty of ammunition to jump around and target players, something they did during last year's draft.
The fifth-round pick the 49ers traded away was acquired last year when San Francisco dealt cornerback Rashard Robinson to the Jets. So in essence, the 49ers traded Brown and Robinson for a late third-round draft pick.
Asked after picking McGlinchey on Thursday whether Brown was a potential trade candidate, Kyle Shanahan passed the question over to John Lynch.
"I think the reality, you look at our tackle situation, you know, you have Trent whose contract is up after this year," Lynch said. "You have Joe (Staley) who in two seasons his contract is up, and we believe both in the short-term and long-term, this was a wise decision."
McGlinchey and veteran Garry Gilliam will compete at right tackle during spring practices, but the expectation is that McGlinchey will win that battle and will start opposite Staley when the regular season begins.
The Patriots, meanwhile, lost their top tackle, Nate Solder, to the New York Giants in free agency.
Brown is a former seventh-round pick who has played surprisingly well for someone drafted that late. He started all 16 games in 2016 and 10 last year before succumbing to a torn labrum. He passed a physical in New England Friday, which finalized the trade.
Brown's weight has fluctuated, and the 49ers have been leery about giving him a big, long-term contract. His massive size has been a hindrance to pass rushers but doesn't mesh particularly well with the team's zone-rushing style.
The 49ers traded a second-round pick, the 11th in the round, to New England for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in October.
