What the 49ers can get in a Trade for Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel and the 49ers are headed their separate ways this offseason. Here is what the 49ers could get in a trade for him.

Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr (1) carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers are headed their separate ways this offseason.

Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers during exit meetings and the 49ers have obliged. It is a divorce that is in the best interest of both teams. However, interest in Samuel in a trade will be tough to come by.

2024 was a mediocre season for Samuel. It was easily his worst season produced. The time to trade him was last year when he came off of a solid 2023 season. Now, the 49ers will have to convince teams that Samuel is still a good player at 29 years old.

If they are lucky enough to field interest for him, the best the 49ers can get in a trade for Samuel would be a fifth-round pick. At the most, it would be a fourth-round pick, which I find highly unlikely. A fifth seems about the right value for Samuel.

Again, he is coming off the worst season of his career. He did nothing to be a positively impactful player on the field and isn't fit to be a leader. To make matters worse for him, he is a terrible pure wide receiver. He eliminates himself from the majority of offenses.

Only a team with a great offensive mind and unique roles can make him fit. That way he doesn't have to be an exclusive wide receiver. He needs to be used as an offensive weapon and not in an exclusive role.

Another factor that makes his value low is he's entering the final year of his contract. Whoever acquires him will have to consider if he is a one-year rental or a long-term player they want to extend. I think it would be foolish of a team to extend him.

Samuel needs to show he is still a productive player, and for a team to extend him without seeing how he looks in their offense would be insane. Then again, this is the NFL. A lot of insane transactions get made all of the time.

I just wouldn't consider it a likely scenario. Trading Samuel will be difficult for the 49ers. At this moment, it feels unlikely that they will execute a trade and release him. If they do execute a trade, it will involve a fifth-round pick.

Last year, the Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs and a sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick. Diggs was in the last year of his deal like Samuel. However, Diggs is a vastly better player than Samuel and the Bills still had to throw in a pick.

If the 49ers want a fourth-round pick, the highest they will get, they need to throw in a pick to accompany Samuel in a package deal. No one team will acquire Samuel for anything more than a Day 3 NFL draft pick. The 49ers have zero leverage on this.

The sooner the 49ers shop Samuel around, the better. The clock is ticking for them to decide with Samuel's $15 million option due on Mar. 22. If a deal cannot arise by then, releasing Samuel will be a move they could exercise.

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