Could the 49ers Trade Deebo Samuel?
Deebo Samuel is entering the last year of his rookie deal.
That means that the 49ers have to extend him. Allowing a player to ride out the final year of their deal is a sign of disrespect. If the 49ers are sure of and valued Samuel's talent, then they will extend him as standard protocol. This is the NFL's version of the "unwritten rules of baseball" in a sense.
Extending Samuel will be immensely tricky. He had the best year of his career last season by showing his impact as a wide receiver AND a running back. Hence the name "wideback" that he has established. But ultimately, Samuel's real impact and worth is as a runner. It wasn't until Kyle Shanahan incorporated him more as a running back that the offense truly saw its engine turn on.
The 49ers could easily push a price point to Samuel that isn't as the highest paid wide receiver in the league, but more skewed towards running back. That is something Samuel and his agent probably won't find agreeable. Should it be a struggle or take a while to find an agreement, then things will become awkward. When Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill could not find common ground with their teams, they were traded to find the destination and contract that they wanted. The same fate could be Samuel's.
So could the 49ers trade Samuel?
Without question.
Let me get this out of the way before the emotion strikes, I am NOT advocating for the 49ers to trade Samuel. I think they should pay him and I'll explain that in one of my next articles.
But it is naive to not think that trading him is a fair possibility. Adams and Hill, who are greater players than Samuel, got traded. Samuel is not off limits and there is no such thing as an "off limits" player with the 49ers from the moment they traded DeForest Buckner two years ago.
A lot can occur during the negotiations. The 49ers could be headstrong that they do not want to offer up Samuel a deal that makes him the highest paid wide receiver in the league. Right now that honor is Hill, but a new deal for Samuel will surely look to break that. The 49ers will certainly argue he is not solely a wide receiver anymore. They will say that he is more running back than wide receiver, thus that is where his market should focus.
Plus, he has been excellent for just one season. 2020 was injury ridden for him and 2019 he had a solid second-half of the year. Guys like Adams and Hill get paid because they have proven to stay healthy and sustain their level of play for YEARS.
I could see the 49ers bridging a midpoint between Christian McCaffrey's deal ($16 million annually) and Hill's ($30 million annually) since he is a "wideback" for them. But surely Samuel's side will argue that the fact he can do BOTH at a high-level and more than Hill in the offense that he is deserving of more. This is the tricky part. The 49ers are going to try to keep his cost lower than what Samuel wants.
Is he worth making the highest paid over Hill?
Yes, but only in annual salary per year. Average salary has never been something I look at in deals. It is the guarantees I have always keyed in on the most since it tattoos the salary cap. Adams with the Raiders got about $67 million guaranteed, while Hill received $72 million guaranteed. Samuel could be looking for $75 million guaranteed or more. But I think the best bet for the 49ers is to configure a deal where they make him the highest paid annually, but keep his guaranteed lower than Hill and Adams.
Being the "highest paid receiver" in name could be enough of an ego stroke for Samuel. Never underestimate the honor and prestige these players crave for with these titles. It could be enough for Samuel to ink a deal since it will be a lot of money. That is just one way the 49ers could find common ground with Samuel.
Otherwise, if things get messy during negotiations, then trading him or him wanting to find a team that will extend him handsomely could definitely occur.
