NINERS NAB STEVIE JOHNSON FROM BILLS
The San Francisco 49ers acquired wide receiver Stevie Johnson from the Buffalo Bills for a conditional 3rd-round draft pick in 2015.
What does it give the San Francisco 49ers
This trade is a reminder that the 49ers are serious about getting back to the Super Bowl. Johnson gives them a quality third receiver option who would be a No. 1 or No. 2 on several other teams, and he'll be a great complement for projected starters {P Michael Crabtree} and {P Anquan Boldin}. With proven veteran {P Brandon Lloyd} also in the mix, San Fran now has one of the deepest core wideout groups in the NFL. We'll see if run-heavy QB {P Colin Kaepernick} can keep all of them happy.
What does it give the Buffalo Bills
Johnson became expendable in Buffalo when the Bills moved up in the first round of this year's NFL Draft to snap up potential star wideout {P Sammy Watkins}. Since they also have the promising {P Robert Woods} on board plus recently-acquired, troubled-but-talented {P=9559 Mike Williams} from Tampa Bay, the small-market Bills clearly didn't want to be paying four potential starting wideouts. They'll miss Johnson, but they save salary here and get a solid pick in return.
Fantasy impact
On the San Francisco side of this swap the only player who probably gets a fantasy boost is Kaepernick. He now has a truly deep, gifted, multi-faceted group of targets and so has no excuse not to put up career (so far) numbers in 2014. This trade probably doesn't affect Boldin or Crabtree much, but it will probably hurt Lloyd and featured back {P Frank Gore} (who's aging and will likely see fewer carries now). For the Bills, Johnson's departure means more fantasy buzz for Watkins (who takes over as Buffalo's clear-cut No. 1 wideout) and Williams was a rising star until last season's difficulties so he gets an increase in potential value here too. Meanwhile Woods can now take over for Johnson as Buffy's primary possession guy, and could lead the Bills in catches next season. Of course, for any of Buffalo's receivers to see much improvement fantasy-wise, young QB {P EJ Manuel} will need to take the next step.
