How the 49ers used the trade deadline, again, to improve their depth

As Tuesday’s trade deadline approached, it appeared that the 49ers might not encounter a deal to their liking. That would’ve marked a big change for a team that’d been particularly active on the acquisition market in recent years.

But mere minutes before the 1 p.m. PT cutoff, the 49ers did make a trade. They acquired 28-year-old defensive tackle Khalil Davis from the Houston Texans for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.

“That wasn’t a huge risk,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday, “but we do feel like we helped our team with the things we did do.”

The addition of Davis is aimed to insulate interior D-line depth and boost an inconsistent run 49ers’ run defense, which ranks No. 23 in expected points added (EPA).

The other moves Shanahan referred to came outside the trade market. The 49ers signed to the practice squad receiver Russell Gage and safety Tashaun Gipson Sr., who started for the team in both of the past two seasons.

The 49ers, who have been good but not great on both offense and defense so far this season, didn’t have any acute needs ahead of the trade deadline. The roster, already loaded with talent, stands to replenish a significant amount of star power when running back Christian McCaffrey and linebacker Dre Greenlaw return, as is expected.

But beyond those potential additions, it’s long been known that the 49ers could use more depth at defensive tackle, receiver and safety — and that’s precisely where Davis, Gage, and Gipson fill in.

Most appealingly, the 49ers didn’t have to part with a single selection in the upcoming 2025 draft. Maintaining near-term picks, which come with four years of cost-controlled salaries for new players, is vital for teams like the 49ers who are operating with relatively scarce salary-cap room.

“[The trade deadline] was the same as every year,” Shanahan said. “We don’t just make a huge move just because we want to. If we think it’s something that can help and not hurt for the future, you’ve got to weigh those risks every year. And a few good things have popped up that we thought were worth the risks in past years. We didn’t see anything this year.”

Instead, the 49ers will roll forward with a low-risk proposition in Davis, an undersized yet exceptionally fast and strong defensive tackle who averaged 19 snaps per game for the Texans.

It’s the latest in a long list of trades that the 49ers have made for defensive linemen. In 2020, they traded for Jordan Willis. In 2021, they acquired Charles Omenihu. In 2023, they added Randy Gregory and Chase Young. And in 2024, they picked up Maliek Collins.

All of those linemen ended up contributing to the 49ers, who acquired Omenihu, Collins and Davis from the same team — Houston. Now, they hope for similarly productive results from Davis. A coach who’s previously worked with him said he’s “an active hard worker and stout in the middle.”

Davis might be needed immediately, as rotational defensive tackle Kevin Givens missed another practice Wednesday with a groin injury. That’s just the latest injury to the 49ers’ interior D-line, which is without explosive pass rusher Javon Hargrave, who tore his triceps muscle back in Week 3.

Davis knows his new team’s system since he played two seasons under Houston coach DeMeco Ryans, who was previously the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. He also has some rapport with Collins, his former Texans teammate who ranks fifth at his position in pass-rush win rate for the 49ers this season.

The 49ers next play the Buccaneers, who may immediately test Davis and the 49ers’ run defense. Tampa Bay ranks No. 6 in rushing efficiency and is missing its top two receivers, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, to injuries.

• Christian McCaffrey, who’s making a return from bilateral Achilles tendinitis, made it through Monday’s bonus practice without experiencing any pain. That meant McCaffrey was back out on the field Wednesday.

Shanahan said that McCaffrey can be expected to make his season debut against Tampa Bay as long as he remains pain-free this week.

“As long as everything goes well — and it has in the rehab,” Shanahan said. “So, just as long as he doesn’t get sore and have setbacks each day with practice.”

Receiver Jauan Jennings has also practiced twice this week after missing time with injury. A hip issue sidelined Jennings for the previous two games.

“We turnt out here, ain’t we?” 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel said in the locker room. “We got Christian back. We got JJ back — two of the main guys we needed to come back. It’s all hands on deck here right now.”

• The 49ers opened the practice window for defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, who’s on injured reserve with a knee injury. General manager John Lynch has previously said that Gross-Matos is targeting a Nov. 17 return against the Seattle Seahawks.

• Edge rusher Nick Bosa said that he knew the NFL might fine him for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat while photobombing an NBC interview following the 49ers’ Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

“If it comes, it comes,” Bosa said of a potential fine. “It was well worth it.”

Bosa said he stayed up late to watch results of Tuesday’s night’s election, which saw Donald Trump win the Presidency.

“Clearly, the nation spoke,” Bosa said. “And we got what we got.”

• Cornerback Charvarius Ward will not be with the 49ers for at least this week following the death of his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. She died last week and a funeral is scheduled for Friday in Dallas.

Shanahan said that he hasn’t even yet spoken with Ward about a potential return timeline and that the team will give its cornerback however much time he needs to process the tragedy with his family.

“I don’t even like to think of how I would react, because you don’t know until it happens,” Shanahan said. “So it’s just something where you’ve got to be there for someone and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s whatever works for the person.”