I think the writer and others as 9er websites are now jumping on this, just are misinterpreted Shanahan’s quote.
Because realistically if Im the 49ers and Seahawks, Im am wasting zero resources scouting Love because he 100% wasn’t going to be available in any scenario. Most teams have solid intel on whom the first 10 picks are going to, hence why Chiefs traded up from #9 to #6 for the CB even though consensus told them they could wait.
So if Black is #2, their RB 1 was Jadarian Price not Love because again why would teams in the later half even bother to put Love on their board already knowing 100% he wasn’t making it out of the top 10, and probably 99% wasnt making it past the top 5.
And honestly I felt the 49ers thought the Seahawks were going to trade down, on draft day in a video of them talking to media showing them watching the Seahawks pick they already seemed flustered and agitated like Seahawks are picking, wtf, and when it was Price there wasnt any signs of relief to their already tight expressions. It made feel at the time that Price could have been a real possibility for them knowing McCaffrey is basically on a doom counter. So, the fact that some in the Seahawks building thought the same thing as me makes me feel it was reasonable.