San Francisco 49ers do-everything wide receiver Deebo Samuel reportedly wants a trade. The former second-round pick is coming off of a wildly successful season and is looking for a new contract that will reflect his status as one of the game’s most dangerous playmakers. Negotiations appear to have hit a wall, so there is a chance Samuel will have a new home before long.
Now, it goes without saying that every team would love to have a playmaker like Samuel on the roster. However, not every team is in position to give up both the capital and contract that Samuel will demand. So, without further ado, let’s go over the five most likely landing spots for Deebo Samuel.
Deebo Samuel has made his stance known. He is frustrated with the #49ers and it seems he wants to play elsewhere. Keep an eye out for this. The Draft is nine days away, teams have already shown interest in trading for him.
— Bobby Thompson (@BThomps81) April 19, 2022
Five Teams That Could Trade for Deebo Samuel
1. New York Jets
Far and away the favorites, the New York Jets have a glaring need at wide receiver, and the organization knows it. Zach Wilson had moments of greatness last year, but he’ll need more help if he’s ever to reach his ceiling. The Jets were runners-up in the Tyreek Hill sweepstakes, so we know they are aggressively trying to address the wide receiver position. Samuel is no Hill, but he would still be the best playmaker on New York’s roster by a wide margin.
2. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is still playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he can’t do it all on his own. After trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the Packers have one of the worst receiver depth charts in all of football. They do have plenty of picks, however, and getting a proven commodity for Rodgers would not only help the quarterback’s morale, but also dramatically increase the team’s odds of winning it all in 2021.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars went wild in free agency, signing Christian Kirk to a massive deal and handing out a big chunk of change to Zay Jones. However, despite the spending spree, Jacksonville’s wide receiver room is still lacking an elite playmaker. The most important thing for any young franchise is developing their young quarterback, and Samuel would go a long way in helping Trevor Lawrence reach his ceiling.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Deebo Samuel would put up herculean numbers in this offense. Andy Reid is the only offensive mind that can rival Kyle Shanahan’s, and Patrick Mahomes is a significant upgrade on Jimmy Garoppolo. The Chiefs need a wide receiver after trading away Tyreek Hill, and they have plenty of picks to make a deal happen. Samuel won’t cost as much as Hill did, so perhaps Kansas City could flip a portion of the picks they received for Hill and get one of the most dangerous playmakers in the game.
5. Carolina Panthers
Head coach Matt Rhule is in an interesting situation. Clearly on the hot seat, the third-year coach is fighting for his job and likely doesn’t care too much about the long-term future of the organization. He needs to win games now, and the best way to do that is through the passing game. Unfortunately, with Sam Darnold under center and an uninspiring quarterback class, it’s going to be hard to upgrade the aerial attack without a sizable influx of talent. Deebo Samuel is not as valuable as a franchise quarterback, but he can help make Darnold or a rookie look a lot better than they actually are with his unparalleled ability out of the backfield and in the short area of the field.
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