Remaining in character, the Jets are poised to make a bid for No. 10 overall Debbo Samuel. Alongside the tenacious wide receiver chase team, NFC squads are interested in the upset 49er.
The Lions and Packers are believed to be on the radar for Samuel, notes NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Video shortcut). Green Bay is about to enter the draft with a glaring hole at the position Detroit saw Amon-Ra St. Brown After going the distance last season, Samuel would step in with the rebuild team as the clear No. 1 weapon. The expected price would hover around the middle of the first round, according to Rapoport. The 49ers have dealt Deforestation Buckner for a mid-first-rounder in 2020 after renewal talks reached a price that was too high for the team.
[RELATED: Samuel, Brown, McLaurin To Skip Offseason Workouts]
Of course, all of this could be premature. The 49ers are not expected to listen to Samuel’s suggestions, namely John Lynch said these recent hiccups caught the team by surprise, the plan remains to find a way to salvage this partnership.
“I can’t imagine ever wanting to walk away from Deebo,” Lynch said Monday. “He’s just too good a player. You don’t let guys like that go.”
Samuel trade rumors only surfaced in the past week, although the trade-and-extend sequences were involved Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill have been influencing the receiver market for several weeks. The 49ers have Samuel and planned Nick Bosa expansions, but the team’s original bid — less than $19 million per year — didn’t go down well with the All-Pro wideout. Samuel submitted a trade request last week, citing issues such as his frequent backfield use and a desire to no longer live in California. However, the 49ers have so far closed that route.
For the 49ers to sell their top receiver to the Packers, one of their top conference rivals, seems far-fetched. An interconference deal with the Jets would add up, especially considering the ex-49ers coach Mike LaFleur Execute the Jets offensive. The Lions (Nos. 2 and 32), Jets (Nos. 4 and 10), and Packers (Nos. 22 and 28) each have two first-round picks that provide extra ammo should the 49ers decide to participate in trade talks. The team still has significant leverage with Samuel signed until 2022 and the franchise tag in play for 2023 but may be able to recoup better value ahead of the draft.