Washington Acquires Derek Carrier From 49ers

5:33pm: According to Barrows (via Twitter), the pick the 49ers acquired from Washington in the Carrier swap is for 2017, not 2016. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bears and Saints were also in the mix for Carrier before the Niners shipped him to D.C.

5:05pm: The 49ers have traded a tight end for the second time this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who reports (via Twitter) that Washington has acquired Derek Carrier from San Francisco. The Niners will get a fifth-round pick in exchange for Carrier, per Barrows.

On Tuesday, armed with a ton of tight end depth, the 49ers sent Asante Cleveland to the Patriots in exchange for offensive lineman Jordan Devey. At the time, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reported that both Cleveland and Carrier had been receiving trade interest, and since neither player was viewed as a lock to make San Francisco’s roster, it makes sense that they’d be traded.

Carrier, 25, saw his first real regular-season action on offense last year for the Niners, appearing in 11 games and grabbing nine balls for 105 yards. In Washington, he’ll have a clearer path to playing time, as the team will be without Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen this season — both players have sustained season-ending injuries during the preseason.

For their part, the 49ers will be hoping Carrier gets plenty of playing time in Washington. According to Barrows (via Twitter), the fifth-round pick San Francisco gets in the deal is a conditional selection. So if Carrier doesn’t reach certain thresholds for playing time and production, the Niners figure to get a lesser pick.

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