Los Angeles Chargers–San Francisco 49ers Trade History

San Diego sent Dan Audick to San Francisco for a 1982 third-round selection, later No. 83 and associated with John Cannon. The Chargers eventually used that pick in a separate transaction, while the 49ers received immediate offensive-line help. Keeping the later Tampa Bay deal outside the direct compensation shows a straightforward player-for-pick exchange with no clear long-term winner.

Los Angeles Chargers received 1984 fourth round pick (#107-Micheal Gunter / Michael Gunter / Mike Gunter). The Chargers received San Francisco's 1984 fourth-round choice, later No. 107. That pick remained an asset the club could move again, and it was later transferred to Tampa Bay. The Chargers therefore preserved useful draft flexibility, while Amos Lawrence did not deliver regular-season production for San Francisco. That gives Los Angeles the better practical return. That stronger outcome supports a B- grade for Los Angeles Chargers.

San Francisco acquired Hall of Fame pass rusher Fred Dean during the 1981 season and added the missing pressure piece to Bill Walsh's rising team. Dean helped power the 49ers' first Super Bowl run, later contributed to another championship, and gave San Francisco a dynasty-level defensive edge. The Chargers received pick value, but nothing close to Dean's immediate title impact or historical legacy.

Los Angeles Chargers received 1983 eighth round pick (#202-Earnest Jackson) and 1985 seventh round pick (#196-Mark Fellows). The Chargers received the eighth-round choice that became Earnest Jackson and a later seventh-round choice. Jackson became a 1,000-yard rusher for San Diego and was later moved for additional draft capital, creating substantial value from a late selection. Jackson's production and later trade value created a major advantage for the Chargers over Horn's brief San Francisco tenure. That outcome supports an A grade for Los Angeles Chargers.

San Diego moved up from the second round to No. 22 in 1983, sending San Francisco both No. 49 and No. 36. The Chargers selected cornerback Gill Byrd, who became a franchise standout and intercepted 42 passes in his career. That is an excellent result, but the 49ers received Roger Craig plus another second-round asset that they immediately used in the Wendell Tyler deal.

San Diego received three selections for Louie Kelcher, but the resulting players produced no Chargers regular-season appearances: Bob Craighead and the No. 331 receiver never logged an NFL game, while Dan Remsberg was released before the 1985 season. Kelcher played all 16 games for San Francisco's Super Bowl XIX champions. That concrete imbalance drops the Chargers to D and changes the verdict to a 49ers win.

San Diego received 1986 fifth- and eleventh-round selections that became Donald Brown and Drew Smetana. Those choices did not produce a return comparable with the immediate pass-rush value Gary Johnson supplied in San Francisco. The D+ grade reflects the limited payoff from the two picks and the clear realized-value gap favoring the 49ers.

San Francisco traded running back Mark Schellen to San Diego on May 20, 1985 for a 1986 12th-round draft choice. The Chargers' official trade history confirms the exchange. Schellen spent the 1985 season on injured reserve and did not appear on San Diego's regular-season roster; the Chargers then traded him to Houston in May 1986. The exact 49ers selection from the 12th-round pick remains unidentified.

San Francisco traded linebacker James Johnson to San Diego during the 1987 strike period after Johnson had appeared once for the 49ers replacement squad. Contemporary reporting described the return as a future draft choice, while a transaction ledger records only past considerations. Johnson then appeared in one Chargers game. With no evidence of sustained San Diego production, the modest return still leaves San Francisco with the better realized side.

San Diego sent Wes Chandler to San Francisco with Fred Quillan initially heading the other way. When Quillan did not remain with the Chargers, the protected terms produced 1989 and 1990 seventh-round selections instead. Those picks became Terrance Jones and Keith Collins and did not match Chandler's remaining contribution. The conditional structure protected San Diego from receiving nothing, but San Francisco still secured the stronger practical return.

San Diego moved from No. 48 to No. 41 in the 1993 draft for Natrone Means and sent San Francisco its 1994 first-round pick. Means became a Pro Bowl back and helped the Chargers reach Super Bowl XXIX. The future first also helped the 49ers trade up for Bryant Young. Both teams created major value, but San Diego receives the narrow edge for the best direct return.

San Diego acquired the 222nd pick in 1993 and used it on quarterback Trent Green, sending San Francisco a 1994 sixth-round choice that became No. 175. Green later enjoyed a long, productive NFL career, but not for the Chargers, while San Francisco later moved the future sixth. Because neither franchise directly captured the famous downstream player value attached to its asset, the trade itself finished as a modest draw.

The Chargers received Rashaun Woods in the April 2006 swap but never got regular-season production from him. Woods was released before the season, so San Diego effectively gave up Sammy Davis without receiving a player who helped in games. That complete absence of realized value drives a D grade despite the modest scale of the transaction.

San Francisco traded pick No. 79 to San Diego for Nos. 91 and 173 plus a 2011 fourth-rounder. The 49ers selected NaVorro Bowman, Anthony Dixon and Kendall Hunter. Bowman became a three-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, anchoring an elite defense. The Chargers selected Donald Butler, a useful multi-year starting linebacker, but even a solid return could not approach Bowman's impact.

San Francisco moved from No. 15 to No. 17 in the 2015 first round and received No. 117 plus a 2016 fifth-rounder, later No. 142. The 49ers selected Arik Armstead, Blake Bell and Ronald Blair; San Diego took Melvin Gordon at No. 15. Both clubs found useful players, but San Francisco's extra capital and Armstead's longevity create the better package.