Trading Deebo Samuel Would be a Massive Mistake by the 49ers
Deebo Samuel wants out.
No longer does he want to remain a part of the San Francisco 49ers. It isn’t an issue with money (I doubt it), but an issue of usage.
Samuel supposedly does not want to be utilized the same way as he was in 2021. Then there is also the question on if he wants to remain in California as opposed to being traded to the east coast. There’s plenty of factors out there being reported as to why Samuel wants out. The fact of the matter remains is that he made an official trade request to the 49ers. And that request must be denied no matter what.
Trading Samuel would be a massive mistake by the 49ers.
The point of drafting and developing All Pro players is to KEEP them, not trade them once they actually become a star, which is what every teams hopes and dreams for when drafting a player in the first two rounds. Sending Samuel away would set a bad precedent with the 49ers. Whenever a great player is entering a time to ask for a new deal, the Niners will just trade them away instead of paying them.
Now Samuel may claim that his trade request is mainly due to usage, but I sincerely doubt he would care if the 49ers flash a huge sum of cash in front of him. So I don't really buy the whole "usage" issue.
Extending Samuel is something the 49ers need to get done. While I don’t believe he is worth extending at top wide receiver money around the $70 million guaranteed range, I wouldn’t see it as a negative thing either. Ideally, getting Deebo at $60 million guaranteed would be sweet for his first deal bartered. But if the 49ers have to kick in around $10 million more, then they should do it. Overspending in this scenario is totally okay. You’d rather overspend on your own than a free agent who is only propped up by the market.
Speaking of precedents, if the 49ers were to put Samuel close to or at top receiver guarantees and/or annual salary, then it showcases to future players. It showcases that if they can attain All Pro status and make a significant impact similar to Samuel, then you will be compensated. Right now is the time to splurge with Trey Lance’s rookie contract aiding the salary cap. The 49ers already demonstrated an unwillingness to splurge in free agency. They CANNOT have an unwillingness with their own homegrown players that turn into stars.
Even if the Niners are able to get premium draft picks, let’s say the No. 10 pick from the Jets and more, whoever they take with those picks won’t sniff the impact of Samuel. What he did last season was magical. You do not need to look at his stats to know how heavily he influenced wins and the team's playoff push. The 49ers will have no feasible replacement for Samuel next season should they trade him. No matter who the 49ers draft, they will have weakened themselves in 2022 and possibly beyond. This draft is not top-heavy with prominent players. It’s better to trade back in this one more than anything.
With Trey Lance poised to take over as the starter, now is not the time to be trading away one of the best players on the team. What the 49ers need to do is let Samuel go off. Let him get all of that emotion out and as time passes try to talk to him again. There is ZERO rush for the 49ers to trade Samuel. Just like there is ZERO leverage with Samuel to get his trade demands granted. All the power lies with the 49ers and they need to realize that and not feel forced, rushed, or pressured to trade Samuel away.
The timeline to get everything sorted out is by training camp, which hopefully by then the 49ers will have extended Samuel. At the very least mend the relationship because they need Samuel to better ensure 2022 goes well for Lance and playoff contention.
