Taylor Mays Trade Rumors: Will Anyone Bite on 49ers' Trade Bait?

San Francisco 49ers Shop Taylor Mays with Mass E-mail

Adam Schefter tweeted that the 49ers sent out a mass e-mail shopping around Taylor Mays. The fact that the 49ers would want to initiate such a trade comes as somewhat of a surprise, given their lack of depth in the secondary. It also suggests they are trying to land a bigger fish.

Mays is an incredibly gifted athlete. He is a physical freak and has unlimited potential, but his coverage issues make him suspect.

If he can't find a spot in the 49ers' system, which clearly Vic Fangio and Jim Harbaugh don't think he can, they should absolutely trade him immediately.

Mays has world-class speed, is a ferocious hitter and has a work ethic and drive that will undoubtedly make him a starter in the NFL. He's special. He's just raw.

The 49ers spent a second-round pick on Mays just last year. It is clear at this point that Mays was not in fact a Trent Baalke guy, he was a Mike Singletary guy.

The 49ers have been reluctant to make moves for most of the post-lockout offseason, but they are slowly but surely making serious moves.

With a serious hole at defensive tackle, outside linebacker and potentially free safety, the 49ers may find that trading to fill one of these positions is the best route to go.

Mays is their most movable piece. He's got a lot of untapped potential and other teams could find him to be worth giving up a player who would start for the 49ers if the 49ers threw Mays into some sort of package deal.

It's clear they aren't targeting one player in particular, as they contacted a number of teams, but it's highly unlikely that this has more to do with them wanting Mays out than it does with the team wanting to improve in other areas.

Harbaugh was at Stanford when Mays was an All-American safety at USC. He has to know what Mays is capable of, but also recognizes his shortcomings.

Even Pete Carroll decided to pass on Mays in the first round, selecting safety Earl Thomas instead. It's unclear what the market would be for Mays, but he's an attractive prospect.

With the signing of Carlos Rogers, it doesn't seem like the 49ers would pursue Asante Samuel, but it's still possible. It will be interesting to see if the 49ers deal a high profile player that could be at odds with the organization if the price is right. Maybe one with a foot injury, perhaps.

While it's uncertain where Mays will end up, some team is going to bite on the trade bait. It's unclear who at this point, but Mays could be a starter if the situation were right.

Teams could be looking at bringing him inside the box and having him play more of a Troy Polamalu type of role to help in the run game.

It's too bad the 49ers couldn't find a place for Mays. He's a high character guy and one heck of an athlete. Even so, this move is good for all parties involved. The worst thing the 49ers could do is hang onto Mays and limit his progression.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Mays will undoubtedly attract suitors if the price is right.