49ers trade Buckner to Colts

Buckner was the No 7 overall at the 2016 NFL Draft

DeForest Buckner has become the second highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL after being traded by the San Francisco 49ers to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts parted ways with a first-round pick in order to bolster their defense with 2016’s No 7 overall pick, who produced 62 tackles and 7.5 sacks last season.

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Buckner will earn $21m per season thanks to the extension given to him by the Colts, putting him second only to the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald in terms of highest annual salary in his position.

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Buckner’s departure breaks up the formidable defensive unit that played an integral role in leading the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, which will still include Arik Armstead after the team’s 2019 sack leader agreed a new five-year deal.

As for the Colts, it marks another case of them addressing their defense while in win-now mode following on from the two-year contract they signed Justin Houston to last year.

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Buckner registered 73 tackles and six sacks in his rookie year in San Francisco, before managing just 61 tackles and three sacks the following season.

His career year arrived in 2018 when he was named to the Pro Bowl after supplying 67 tackles and 12 sacks.

The Oregon product promises to inject welcomed ferocity to the Colts’ interior, both pressuring quarterbacks and pushing them into the path of star linebacker Darius Leonard.

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