The San Francisco 49ers are heading into an offseason where, presumably, some major changes will be made. Coming off their Super Bowl appearance earlier this year, the Niners have fallen short of the postseason and have no intentions of making that a pattern.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will surely be looking to make some big additions. Given Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot’s comments earlier this week, it’s worth wondering if superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett could end up in San Francisco’s plans.

“I do think Myles Garrett threw a whole new element into the whole situation by basically throwing down the gauntlet and saying, ‘Show me what you have. Show me how we are going to be able to contend for the Super Bowl again next season. I need to see it if I want to be back here,’” Cabot said during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan, referring to Garrett’s comments that he would request a trade if the Browns pursue a rebuild.

“They were such strong comments he made last Friday and everyone should snap to attention about that. He’s not messing around with this. He really means business with this, and he’s going to need to see and know that they have a good quarterback plan and they are not going into rebuild… if they can’t say that next year, then he really is going to explore his options.”

Well, the Browns are coming off a pair of disappointing seasons and seem to have no clear plan at quarterback. It sure seems like a rebuild is in the Browns’ short-term future, and that would set the stage for Garrett to try and force a trade. Garrett is one of the best defensive players in the NFL and has come close to matching his production from the 2023 season, when he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award this year.

In 15 games, he has recorded 41 tackles, 26 quarterback hits, a league-leading 18 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has recorded at least 10 sacks in seven consecutive seasons.

It’s no secret that the Niners have placed significant value on defensive linemen since Shanahan’s arrival. They have consistently invested heavily at the position both in the draft, utilizing several first-round picks alongside sizable contracts and reportedly offered a package highlighted by two first-round picks when they tried to acquire Khalil Mack from the Raiders back in 2018.

Moreover, the 49ers have control of all of their top picks in the upcoming (and future) drafts. They are also projected to have two third and fourth-round picks due to compensatory picks this offseason.

San Francisco was still looking for an elite edge rusher back in 2018, and the subsequent addition of Nick Bosa makes it less of a necessity now. However, reuniting Bosa with his former Ohio State teammate (Garrett) would transform the Niners’ defensive front from a unit filled with solid players around Bosa to one with arguably the two best defensive linemen in the league.

Garrett’s contract would also not be a problem for any acquiring team. The Browns restructured his deal to maximize short-term savings, leaving an acquiring team with a minimal cap hit upon acquiring him. The real question is whether Cleveland would be willing to take on the dead money (roughly $35 million) from the move.

Garrett does not have a no-trade clause, but he would be in a strong position to try and get his new team to negotiate a new contract with him. Still, even if the Niners gave Garrett a sizable extension, it would not be impossible to manage. Garrett’s acquisition would likely lead the Niners to trade edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos and may force some other salary cap casualties, but that would probably be worth it for a player as good as Garrett.

The 49ers are currently projected to have the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which would presumably be the centerpiece of any deal for Garrett. It’s rare for a team with such a win-now perspective to have a pick that high. Add in Floyd’s reasonable contract, and they may also be able to offer Cleveland a top-15 pick, a solid starting edge rusher on a reasonable deal, and a future first-round pick for Garrett. That would seem like a hard package for other teams to top.

Do you think it would be a good idea for the 49ers to be that aggressive in pursuit of Garrett if the opportunity arises? Or should they focus on shoring up their depth elsewhere?