Barber: 49ers won by acquiring Emmanuel Sanders, keeping Nick Mullens

SANTA CLARA - During Kyle Shanahan's press conference Tuesday, former Press Democrat beat writer and current NBC Bay Area reporter Matt Maiocco noted that we were 13 minutes away from the NFL trade deadline. He asked the 49ers' head coach if we should all be bracing for big news.

“There's always a possibility, but I'm down here feeling patient right now, so I don't think much is going to happen here in these 13 minutes, but there could be,” Shanahan replied. “Never say never, but I'd be surprised if something did.”

Something didn't. Those 13 minutes expired without incident, and the 49ers had allowed the deadline to come and go without making another move.

Good for them.

The 49ers have the touch of gold in 2019. The vast majority of their off-the-field moves have made them better rather than worse. And nearly everything they have done on the field has operated like the mechanism of a watch. One man's opinion: The transactions they made, and did not make, leading up to October 29 should get positive reviews, too.

The addition, as you know, was Emmanuel Sanders. His arrival was welcome, because Sanders is a wide receiver and the 49ers didn't have enough of those.

Sanders' hadn't been the sexiest name on the list of theoretical targets, a group that included Atlanta's Julio Jones and Cincinnati's A.J. Green, two of the top wideouts of their generation. But who knows if either of those sticky-fingered gentlemen were even available, or what their current teams might have been asking in compensation?

Sanders, in contrast, was a known commodity. Niners general manager John Lynch has a close relationship with the Denver Broncos, and he pried Sanders away for essentially a third-round draft choice in 2020. (San Francisco also surrendered what shapes up as a low fourth-round pick, while getting back a likely high third-rounder.) That's a good buy for the 49ers.

Sanders probably won't knock your socks off. He is five years past his peak NFL season and has averaged a modest 11.9 yards per catch since the start of the 2017 season. But he is immediately and convincingly the 49ers' top wide receiver. I know, that's a little like calling someone Trump's top cabinet pick. But it's something. And Sanders justified Shanahan's long-held interest by catching a touchdown pass in his first game as a 49er. This was the type of signing that can help a good team get over the top.

The Sanders deal wasn't the best trade-related occurrence for the 49ers in 2019, though. The good news was no news.

Last week, rumors popped up regarding Nick Mullens. The rumors, for which I do not vouch, said several NFL teams were inquiring about the 49ers' backup quarterback.

It made sense. The 49ers have a franchise QB in Jimmy Garoppolo and another young thrower, C.J. Beathard, with 10 NFL starts under his belt. If a team stepped forward waving a mid-round draft pick, why not unload a spare part and replenish one of the picks the 49ers mortgaged in previous trades?

Because it would have been a huge mistake.

Shanahan seems to like Beathard, quarterbackily speaking, more than anyone else does. The coach has some expertise in NFL quarterbacking, it's true. I wouldn't presume to know more than he does on the subject. But does he know more than all the rest of us combined?

I'm not sure there is a QB tougher than Beathard. He has been battered like a rental car in his two years in Santa Clara, and has hardly flinched. He just hasn't been very good. His passes are scattershot. My theory is that Shanahan fixed on Beathard as a third-round talent after taking him there in 2017, and is too stubborn to lower the bar.

Shanahan's praise for Mullens, on the other hand, has been begrudging at best - even as the then-rookie was completing 64.2% of his passes and claiming three of San Francisco's four wins in 2018. Mullens deserved more. In fact, here's a weird trivia question for you: Of all the quarterbacks in 49ers history, which one has thrown for the most yards per game? Why yes, the answer is Nick Mullens! His per-game average of 253 yards is better than Garoppolo, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jeff Garcia and all the rest.

There are at least a dozen disclaimers attached to that fact. But it's hard to deny that Mullens was pretty good when he played last year, though the team around him generally was not.

I'm not saying Mullens is a star in the making, or that he's better than Garoppolo. I'm saying he is a capable backup quarterback, and that's one of the most valuable things an NFL team can have.

Starting quarterback remains just below crop-duster pilot and Russian journalist on the list of most dangerous jobs. Roughly halfway through the season, we've seen the usual carnage. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, New Orleans' Drew Brees, Jacksonville's Nick Foles, Carolina's Cam Newton, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, Washington's Case Keenum (already standing in for the injured Alex Smith) and Denver's Joe Flacco are among the NFL QBs who have been knocked out of action in 2019. That does not include Andrew Luck, who surprised the Colts by announcing his retirement just before the start of the season, citing injuries.

In other words, if you're fielding an NFL team, there's a pretty good chance you will have to turn to your second-team quarterback at some point, as either a Plan B solution or a multi-week caretaker until the starter returns. Either way, his performance might make or break your season.

Kyle Allen looked fantastic (7 touchdowns, no interceptions) in place of Newton before the 49ers defense crushed him Sunday, and the Panthers are in the playoff hunt. Mason Rudolph, like Allen a second-year player, has been up and down for the Steelers, and they are struggling to stay afloat.

I'd say Mullens is more Allen than Rudolph, and the 49ers are lucky to have him. They also have enough talent to win with a solid backup quarterback under center.

I'm not wishing any harm on Jimmy G, but the man has been hurt before. It could happen again. If it does, the Niners will be happy they hung up on any calls they might have received for Mullens.

You can reach columnist Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Skinny_Post.