49ers' Vance McDonald: Could be traded by new regime

The 49ers may be trying to trade McDonald (shoulder), Cam Inman of The Mercury News reports.

Analysis:

The 49ers' previous front office regime signed McDonald to a surprisingly hefty extension in December, adding three seasons and $9 million in guaranteed money to his pre-existing contract. The new regime, led by GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, probably wasn't too excited to inherit such a sizable contract for a player who's caught only 64 of 118 targets (54.2 percent) through four injury-plagued seasons. The 2013 second-round selection hasn't lived up to his draft status even when he's been healthy, and he suffered a broken scapula two days after signing his extension. Even if he gets healthy and sticks with the team, McDonald likely will face competition for the starting job from some combination of Garrett Celek, Logan Paulsen and Blake Bell (head). Having passed on the position through the first two days of the draft, San Francisco may want to scour the bargain-bin free agent market for veteran tight ends.