49ers roster: Deebo Samuel will carry unprecedented attention in 2022
By Peter Panacy
Why Deebo Samuel winds up regressing with 49ers instead
It’s hard to envision any scenario where Deebo Samuel goes from a generational impact player to “just another good one” in a single year.
Aside from injury concerns, though, there are arguments to be made for a statistical regression from Samuel, starting off with the reality that his 1,770 net yards from a year ago will be awfully difficult to replicate, particularly if Trey Lance is looking to spread the wealth around the field a bit more in 2022.
On top of that, and as hinted at in the title of this article, Samuel is no longer an up-and-coming commodity. He’s the 49ers’ No. 1 offensive weapon, and teams will know this all too well. And while not every team out there employs the same defensive strategy as New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick of taking away an opponent’s best player, many teams do.
Samuel will be worthy of commanding that attention.
Read More: What if 49ers don’t extend Deebo Samuel this offseason?
Going back to the wide-back role, it’s certainly understandable why the All-Pro wouldn’t want to subject his body to increased rigor on run plays, particularly those between the tackles where wear and tear can take a toll.
However, that attribute of his 2021 game film is a big reason why Samuel is so unique, and removing that from his repertoire might threaten his overall prowess.
If anything, it’s likely a tug-of-war situation that’ll have to play itself out between Samuel and the Niners: him not wanting to be used in such a scenario but then wanting the ball in key situations with a game on the line, even if that situation calls for a run play.