That's the question NFL fans are asking right now. Since Deebo Samuel officially and publicly asked the San Francisco 49ers to trade him, fans of other teams around the league have been salivating at the thought of getting this jack of all trades on their team. Before we get into where Deebo may go if in fact the 49ers do trade him, allow me to give you a brief overview of the situation.
courtesy of MassLive.com
First is that the 49ers do NOT have to trade Deebo Samuel and if they don't then he'll have to make the decision whether or not he wants to help his teammates win a championship or ride the bench and collect $4 million.
The Niners have talked contract negotiations with their star receiver but it's not about the money for Deebo in this case. He wants to get paid, just not by the 49ers. He doesn't want to be part of the team anymore.
It's speculated that Deebo wants out of San Fran because of the way they used him on offense. Well first of all he only had 59 rushes on the season in which many of them were end arounds or reverse plays. And it's not like the Niners put him in the backfield in goaline situations in the I formation. The 8 rushing touchdowns Deebo had in 2021 were for the most part 15+ yard runs. The 49ers only truly began using Deebo out of the backfield toward the end of the season and in crucial situations like the post season. Isn't that what your best player is for? To get the ball in his hands!
So if Deebo has a problem with the way the Niners used him on offense then he's got another thing coming because his versatility and swiss army knife style of play is what makes him such a special and coveted player. Whatver team trades for this jack of all trades will want to use Deebo on reverses, end arounds and yes taking a few snaps out of the backfield.
The downside of Deebo is that he does get injured and getting hurt in your prime doesn't bode well for the future. While Deebo is one of the best weapons in football, he isn't a traditional wide receiver. He can't run all the routes on the tree. He's more of a YAC player which is great but as an offense you need to know what you're getting and not getting out of a player you'll be paying top dollar.
So who wants Deebo and will the 49ers make a trade if they get the right offer? Here are the handful of teams I realistically see being able to make a move for Deebo Samuel.
Baltimore Ravens - The style of play the Ravens run their offense through Lamar Jackson would fit like a glove if Deebo joined that offense. He could be a major part of that offense there with an athletic, strong armed quarterback and a top rated tight end in Mark Andrews, much like George Kittle who Deebo worked perfectly with. The Ravens need a wide receiver and while Deebo certainly isn't a traditional WR, he still can cause a lot of damage to an opposing defense. The Ravens could offer the Niners their 14th overall selection in this years draft with a couple extra picks on the side.
Atlanta Falcons - If Atlanta wants to start rebuidling this team with Kyle Pitts then he'll need a partner. Bring in Deebo and again, watch that tight end/wide receiver combo flourish. Pitts isn't a traditional tight end and Samuel isn't a traditional receiver. Who the hell cares!? The fact is they're both play-makers and would give opposing defenses fits. The Falcons have the 8th overall selection in this years draft. Offer that to San Francisco with a 2nd and 4th rounder and you may have a deal.
New York Jets - Maybe the Jets are kicking themselves in the ass for not pulling the trigger on the Tyreek Hill trade as they watched him go to the division rival Miami Dolphins. That's gotta hurt! The Jets didn't want to pay the fee for the Cheetah but maybe they'll break the bank for the "Bulldozer" that's what I call Deebo as a 49ers fan! The Jets have the 4th and 10th pick in the draft that's just days away from now. It would be best if they made a deal before Thursday night.
Green Bay Packers - It's unlikely that these two teams that have been on and off rivals for the last 30 years would make a trade of such high magnitude. However desperate times call for desperate measures and the Packers are desperate. Now they do have the 22nd and 28th picks in the draft and could get a good WR with one of those picks. But Deebo is a sure thing when he's on the field and Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers could be willing to give up a lot of stock to acquire the many talents of Deebo Samuel.
Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are loaded with draft picks and loading up on young talent. DeVonta Smith was a homerun pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for Philly and maybe they swing for the fences again. I think head coach Nick Sirianni is begging the Eagles front office for a shot at Deebo. Philly has the 15th and 18th pick this season and one of those first rounders along with some other capitol, perhaps even Jalen Reagor in the trade to try and restart his career in a new town.
The two other teams that have an outside shot in the Deebo Samuel sweepstakes are the Denver Broncos if they include Jerry Jeudy and maybe even Patrick or Sutton in some sort of package deal that would also likely involve draft picks. But that is Denver's problem in this scenario. The Russell Wilson trade took away a couple of first round picks and more.
The other and last team I see with a slight chance to get Deebo are the Indianapolis Colts. These teams have a short history of making trades and we know the Colts need another offensive weapon if they want to truly contend in the stacked AFC. The Colts don't have a first round pick this season but maybe if they include next year in the deal along with other players/and or picks they could pull it off. Oh one last thing - Watch Out for the Cleveland Browns as a sneaky option here!
So what do you guys think here? Does Deebo get traded? If so where does he go? If the 49ers do trade Deebo Samuel I would expect it would be with a team who has a high draft pick or equal compensation of another player or two. We're less than a week away from the draft and the window is closing for teams to make an offer to 49ers General Manager John Lynch that will leave him no choice but to trade their best player.
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