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The San Francisco 49ers and do-it-all playmaker Deebo Samuel could be headed for a split as trade frenzy mounts ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
Speculation about the future of the 2021 Pro Bowl selection came to the fore in early April when the wide receiver removed all references to the Niners on his social media pages. Speculation became reality on Wednesday Jeff Darlington from ESPN spoke to Samuel, who confirmed he requested a trade from San Francisco.
Samuel, 26, is entering the final season of his four-year, $7.2 million rookie contract. Prior to the wide receiver’s request for a change of scenery, there had been no indication the sides were close to an agreement on an extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday on NFL Live (via Sports Illustrated’s Wilton Jackson) that the 49ers are willing to pay fair market value but their top offensive weapon is unwilling to commit.
“That, I think right now, is that Deebo Samuel doesn’t want to make a deal,” Schefter said. “…The 49ers are ready. Deebo Samuel is the one who stopped everything for now.”
San Francisco doesn’t need to trade. It could be on the last year of his contract and use the franchise tag to keep him for 2023. The question is whether Samuel will be willing to force the team’s hand in the wake of trade demand.
With the 2022 draft set to begin on April 28, the Niners may need to make a quick decision about what to do with a player who had 15 total touchdowns in 2021 (eight rushing, six receiving and one passing).
If they decide to grant the request and seek trade offers, the Miami Dolphins broke ground in March with their blockbuster deal for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Miami gave up five draft picks: first-, second-, and fourth-rounders in 2022, and fourth- and sixth-rounders in 2023.
Hill has a longer track record than Samuel, so the Niners’ haul probably wouldn’t match the Dolphins’ performance, but it could come close.
Here are a few hypothetical trade packages if a deal goes through before this year’s draft:
- Send New York Jets: #10, #69 and 2023 third round
- Baltimore Ravens send: No. 14, No. 76 and 2023 third-rounders
- The Los Angeles Chargers send: No. 17, No. 79 and 2023 third place finisher
Those offers would allow the 49ers to send Samuel to the AFC. If they are willing to consider proposals from NFC competitors, there will be other possible applicants:
- Atlanta Falcons send: No. 8, No. 82 and 2023 third-rounders
- Chicago Bears send: #39, #71 and first-rounders 2023
- Washington Commanders send: #11, #113 and 2023 runner-up
Ideally for San Francisco, it will find a way to break the impasse with Samuel and sign him for a long-term contract extension to retain a key member of its offensive program.
If that’s not possible, getting three assets, including a first-round pick, represents a solid return for a player they picked in the second round of the 2019 draft.