Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
The San Francisco 49ers have again made star receiver Deebo Samuel available via trade.
General manager John Lynch tested the trade waters for the former All-Pro just before the 2024 draft, but seeking another opportunity to reach the Super Bowl and not receiving the value they wanted in return, the 49ers held off on consummating a deal.
Now, with the Niners reportedly granting Samuel and his reps permission to seek a trade, the “wide back’s” days of playing in the Bay are ending.
Samuel has a year left on a $71.55 million deal that’s scheduled to pay him $17.55 million in total compensation for the upcoming season. San Francisco restructured Samuel’s deal last September, so if he’s traded before June 1, the 49ers would take a $31.55 million dead money hit on the team’s salary cap.
Samuel is slated for a $15.4 million option bonus on March 22, making it likely the 49ers will agree to a trade before then. San Francisco also could save money on the team’s salary cap by releasing Samuel with a post-June 1 designation after the new league year starts March 12 and before the option bonus is due, cutting the cap hit to $10.75 million over the next two years.
Samuel became expendable when San Francisco signed Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million deal as the team’s No. 1 receiver moving forward. Aiyuk suffered a season-ending ACL knee injury that required surgery in Week 7 of the regular season and is working through rehab.
San Francisco also signed No. 3 receiver Jauan Jennings to a two-year, $15.4 million deal and selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of last year’s draft. Samuel, 29, experienced a decline in production last season, totaling just 51 receptions for 670 receiving yards and three scores in 15 games played.
Those were the six-year veteran’s worst numbers over a full season. With the 49ers and Samuel ready to part ways, here are five teams that make the most sense as a trade partner.
Pete Carroll is looking for experienced playmakers as he tries to quickly rebuild the Raiders in the desert. Samuel, with his swag and his ability to make defenders miss in space, would fit Carroll’s culture. New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly would find innovative ways to use Samuel as a receiver and a runner.
The Raiders need help on offense, regardless of who ends up playing quarterback for the upcoming season, and with Davante Adams no longer on the roster, Samuel would provide an upgrade in the receiver room for the Silver and Black.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans served as the defensive coordinator for San Francisco while Samuel was at his best, so there is a relationship there. New offensive coordinator Nick Caley served as the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, faced Samuel twice a year and could use him in a similar manner as Puka Nacua in his offense.
Stefon Diggs enters free agency in March and is rehabbing from season-ending ACL knee surgery. Tank Dell also is recovering from a scary knee injury suffered in December. Samuel provides quarterback C.J. Stroud with a playmaker who is familiar with the offense and can hit the ground running.
Limited offensively, the Steelers could use another playmaker on offense. Samuel’s ability as a runner fits Pittsburgh if they intend to go with Justin Fields as the starting quarterback. The Steelers already had talks with San Francisco about Samuel and Aiyuk last offseason, so it would not take much to get back on the same page.
The Steelers need a complement on the perimeter to George Pickens and his ability to stretch the field. Pittsburgh securing Samuel would also mean playing keep away from other AFC North teams potentially interested in his services, like the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel served as an offensive assistant in San Francisco for the first three seasons of Deebo’s career and knows firsthand how to put him in advantageous situations in his dynamic offense. Samuel also trains with the same private receivers coach in South Florida as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Miami could use another playmaker to make Tua Tagovailoa’s job easier. And while it would take some finagling in terms of cap space for the Dolphins, Samuel would add a different dimension to an offense that took a steep step backward this past season while the Dolphins missed the postseason altogether.
Jayden Daniels was sensational in his rookie season, but the Commanders could use another playmaker to help make his job easier. Commanders GM Adam Peters was in San Francisco’s front offense when Samuel was selected in the second round of the 2019 draft, so he’s intimately familiar with the South Carolina product’s talent.
Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also faced Samuel twice a year as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, while run game coordinator Anthony Lynn would know how to best use Samuel’s unique skill set in the running game from his time as running backs coach for San Francisco. Washington is also No. 3 in the NFL in salary cap space with a projected $78 million.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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