49ers Trading Trent Brown to the Patriots Was One of the Dumbest Trades in Recent Years

The San Francisco 49ers are widely considered to be one of the best run organizations in the NFL, but man, did they miscalculate in the 2018 offseason.

After starting 10 games that year, offensive lineman Trent Brown opted for season-ending shoulder surgery. That proved to be his last memory with San Fran, as they dealt him to the New England Patriots in the middle of the Draft in exchange for a third-round pick.

The trade came shortly after San Francisco nabbed Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey with the No. 9 overall pick.

Looking back at it, the 49ers should absolutely regret giving up on Brown so early into his NFL career. Things really couldn't have panned out better for the former Florida Gator. He spent the 2018 season protecting Tom Brady's blindside. He appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots while playing 97% of the offensive snaps, and ended up with a Super Bowl title to boot.

The breakout campaign left Brown poised to cash in as unrestricted free agent, and he did just that by signing a four-year, $66 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders last March. The 6-8, 380 pound behemoth was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019 despite appearing in just 11 games. His status as one of the NFL's most imposing offensive linemen, even after leaving Dante Scarnecchia's tutelage, is widely recognized.

As for San Francisco, well, they Niners used that third-rounder on safety Tarvarius Moore, who has started just five games for the team in his first two years in the league. The 23-year-old has logged just 48 tackles during that span, and is nothing more than a rotational piece in the Niners' secondary at this point in his career.

John Lynch has put together a tremendous batting average since taking over as general manager in 2017, but it's impossible to deny that he whiffed by dealing Brown to New England. In the simplest of terms, the trade should now be considered one of the dumbest in recent memory.