3 reasons why 49ers could still trade Deebo Samuel this offseason

Reason No. 3: Deebo Samuel remains dug in on his stance vs. 49ers

Mere days before Deebo Samuel re-liked the Niners’ Instagram page, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h/t 49ers Webzone) doubled down on his earlier offseason reports about the wide receiver wanting out from San Francisco, saying:

"It appears he is still dug in, still wants to be traded despite getting through the draft. “But he knows this could be a long wait now that the 49ers did not do a deal. … I talked to a team source who said, “Look, we couldn’t break the huddle without Deebo Samuel last year, and we love him on and off the field.” So something is just amiss here. Maybe they can work it out, but right now, he still wants to be traded."

Samuel would face stiff fines if he begins opting out of training camp practices, $40,000 per day for players still on their rookie contracts, so that’ll likely be a tipping point.

However, if Samuel is truly dug in at the point where he doesn’t care if the fines are adding up and absolutely wants out, he could still ultimately force the Niners’ hand.

As is usually the case, money solves a lot of these problems, even helping alleviate whatever below-the-surface problems that led to the current situation. And while it might not be in Samuel’s best interest to sit out training camp, at least in the short term, his long game is still very much in play.

San Francisco could blink first here.