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The San Francisco 49ers are in the driver’s seat regarding the NFC West division, considering they have wins over the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams.

As a result, the Niners could be pushing for a trade deadline acquisition that could catapult them into an NFC contender, if they aren’t seen as such already. With the NFL trade deadline nearing, the 49ers could go out on the market to fetch a player who can help replace the production lost by Nick Bosa, who is out with his season-ending injury.

So, who could San Francisco target? CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco believes that Miami Dolphins veteran Bradley Chubb should be a target for general manager John Lynch.

“With Bosa being out of that lineup, it’s an entirely different team,” Prisco said on the October 7 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “And anybody you trade for is not replacing Nick Bosa. You’re just not doing that. But why not go out and call the Miami Dolphins and say, ‘Hey, look, you have extra pass rushers. What about Bradley Chubb?’“

Does Bradley Chubb to the 49ers Make Sense?

Moreover, Prisco explained why the deal makes sense for both teams from a financial and asset perspective.

“[Chubb is] on a three-year contract, but you can get out of it — it’s not prohibitive to trade him,“ Prisco added. “It’s not a big hit to your cap, so why not make a move and get assets?

Look, the Dolphins aren’t going anywhere this year. If you trade for Bradley Chubb and give the Dolphins a draft pick or whatever, then they can stockpile for next year. So I think Bradley Chubb to the 49ers would make a lot of sense.

The 29-year-old is off to a good start this season as he’s recorded four sacks in five games for Miami. As a result, this deadline could be one where the Dolphins decide to take advantage of his value right now and sell high.

49ers Ready to Replace Nick Bosa as a Group

During a September 25 appearance on KNBR , Lynch spoke about the possibility of making a trade before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4.

“My heart just goes out to him,“ Lynch said. “He puts so much into this. This is his life… It’s a crushing blow to our team, but that’s what this sport is. One player won’t make up for Nick Bosa, we’ll have to do it collectively…

“Of course we’re always looking. That’s our job… we’re not afraid and we’ve been effective in doing that. This is no different. I do think we’re a deep group there, and that depth’s going to be tested. We’ll see what’s out there at the appropriate time.”

As Lynch noted, replacing Bosa was always going to require a collective effort, with the younger players expected to elevate their game. Without Bosa, the 49ers‘ defense needed others to step up and fill the gap.

Moreover, adding someone of the caliber of Chubb will ensure that the 49ers have the depth to replace Bosa’s production by committee rather than swinging for the fences on one player.

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo