While things are looking brighter, there are still scenarios where the 49ers could theoretically trade Deebo Samuel this offseason.
Watch, by the time this article goes live, the San Francisco 49ers announce some massive extension for All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, right?
At least at the time of these words being typed out, no such thing has happened. Samuel’s rookie contract is still set to expire at the end of the 2022 season.
Despite the controversy surrounding his trade request earlier this season, a couple of things have taken place since that suggest the Niners’ No. 1 offensive weapon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon
First, the 2022 NFL Draft came and went. As soon as Round 1 was in the books, San Francisco fans breathed a sigh of relief that no trade materialized despite there being no shortage of speculation one could possibly go down for him.
Second, in case you hadn’t noticed, Samuel elected to tap “follow” on the 49ers’ official Instagram page:
Granted, liking a team page on social media is far from rescinding a trade request, and no news on that front has been announced.
However, in light of everything else that’s gone on with Samuel the last few weeks, all this is surely a step in the right direction.
But, to play the skeptic, there are still scenarios in which the Niners would look to deal the “wide back” prior to Week 1.
Is it likely or imminent? No. Not at all. And it probably wouldn’t be in San Francisco’s best interests anyway.
Still, let’s explore some reasons why the 49ers could actually do this, trading away Samuel in what would still be a lucrative return package between now and Week 1.
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.
Reason No. 2: 49ers don’t want Deebo Samuel to be a distraction
The term “distraction” is an interesting one when talking about NFL players. It’s almost cliche, and it’s fair to wonder what it exactly means after all.
Disgruntled players dealing with contract negotiations aren’t uncommon, of course. And by all accounts, Deebo Samuel is a well-respected presence within the locker room. Heck, head coach Kyle Shanahan even said he considers Samuel a personal friend, and the two spend considerable time together on non-football-related topics.
There’s a lot of gray area here. It’s important to acknowledge that. But, to put things in common-person terms, you’re likely to have a variety of coworkers at your own job, right? And each one of them comes with different personalities and traits. Yet there may be one or two coworkers who’ve turned into absolute headaches, and you can’t help but wonder why your employer keeps them around.
This isn’t to say that’s where things stand with Samuel now. Nothing suggests that at all.
But the 49ers are entering a tenuous period in the franchise’s history, transitioning to quarterback Trey Lance, who needs all the weaponry possible to succeed but also can’t afford to fall victim to a divided locker room, one potentially split over Samuel’s dragged-out saga.
If the Niners reach a point where they say “enough is enough,” perhaps that’s when a deal goes down.
Especially if the following scenario is explored.
Scenario No. 1: 49ers still get that offer for Deebo Samuel they can’t refuse
Earlier before the NFL Draft, we broke down some can’t-refuse trade offers other teams around the league could have potentially made to San Francisco for Deebo Samuel.
The draft came and went. And while there were reports about teams making offers to the 49ers, general manager John Lynch accepted none of them. The New York Jets reportedly offered the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, plus a day-two pick swap, but that was declined. And the Detroit Lions also apparently offered a first- and a third-round pick for Samuel, but that was rebuffed, too.
Simply put, the Niners asked a lot. Rightfully so. That left both the Jets and Lions to go with other options, and they did.
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However, another team could just as easily start looking at its crop of 2023 and 2024 NFL Draft picks and decide shipping off a bunch of them to San Francisco would be worthwhile, especially if such a deal included at least two Round 1 selections and probably some change on top of that.
Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have repeatedly said they’d entertain serious offers for any player, and no one is fully “off-limits.”
In order to move Samuel, though, it’d have to be the kind of deal that would far surpass whatever the 49ers were offered just before this year’s draft.
Likely? Again, probably not. But it’s still a possibility.