SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As you might expect for any team sitting at 1-6 with potentially valuable veterans on the roster, the rumor mill is already churning around the San Francisco 49ers in advance of the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

On Sunday night, a report on ProFootballTalk.com popped up indicating that the Niners were looking to move left tackle Joe Staley and the price to obtain him would be a first-round draft pick.

On Monday afternoon, 49ers coach Chip Kelly said if such conversations are taking place, he hasn't been involved.

“That’s news to me,” Kelly said. “Nobody has had any discussions with me about Joe being traded. We need Joe here.”

Kelly went on to point out that he doesn't have the final say on such things, as general manager Trent Baalke is the primary decision-maker when it comes to the roster. But Kelly and Baalke speak daily and Kelly said they haven't had any discussions involving Staley.

"We've never had a conversation about that, and we talk about everything on a daily basis, but that's never come up," Kelly said.

Kelly went on to acknowledge that he can understand why such rumors might come up at this time of year, especially given the Niners' record. Staley would seem to be a valued commodity for a contender on the open market and the Niners could use more valuable draft capital for their rebuilding project, particularly if it came in the form of a first-round pick.

But to Kelly's point, the 49ers aren't exactly flush with blue-chip players, and trading Staley would not only subtract their best offensive lineman but one of their best players regardless of position. For a team that's all but certain to add a young quarterback in the offseason, Staley would offer some much-needed stability for his development. Of course, if the Niners could somehow finagle a first-round pick for Staley, they would be silly not to listen.

Kelly said he hasn't talked to Staley about the reports.

"I don't make a habit of talking to our guys about erroneous reports," Kelly said.