Deebo Samuel

49ers WR Deebo Samuel Unlikely To Be Traded?

June 26th, 2022 at 10:24pm CST by Rory Parks

49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, who is set to enter a contract year, wants to capitalize on the seismic shift that the league’s receiver market has undergone this offseason. Even before draftmate A.J. Brown landed a $25MM/year deal from the Eagles, Samuel was eyeing that benchmark, and now it seems as though San Francisco will have to pony up that kind of cash if it wants to extend the 2021 First Team All-Pro.

It’s unclear where extension negotiations stand at the moment, but it still seems likely that Samuel will remain with the Niners for at least the 2022 campaign. The club rebuffed all trade inquiries in the run-up to the draft in April, and while Samuel was not present for voluntary OTAs, he did appear for mandatory minicamp (unlike another platform-year peer, D.K. Metcalf). Earlier this month, we heard that player and team were still engaged in contract talks, and the fact that Samuel should not need to be utilized as a between-the-tackles runner this season may help push the two sides closer to an accord.

Further, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that there is “not a lot of league-wide chatter” about a Samuel trade at the moment (Twitter link). Samuel has not formally rescinded his trade request (as far as Fowler knows), but it sounds like rival clubs who might be interested in the South Carolina product believe there is no point in engaging the 49ers in trade talks.

Speculatively, it could be that Samuel realizes re-upping with the 49ers this summer is his best option, as long as he can get close to his current fair market value (which Spotrac estimates to be just shy of $25MM per year). If he stages a “hold-in” at training camp, the club could attempt to prevent him from accruing a fourth year of service time, which would make him a restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason. And, while the team could waive or reduce any fines he accumulates by holding out of training camp — since he is still tethered to his rookie contract — holding out obviously comes with the same service time risks as a hold-in.

If he simply rejects the 49ers’ best offer and opts to play out the final year of his rookie contract in the hopes of hitting free agency in 2023, he would be betting his future earnings to a large extent on the right arm of an unproven second-year passer in Trey Lance (to say nothing of San Francisco’s franchise tag rights). If Samuel fails to replicate his tremendous 2021 performance — 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six scores, good for a league-best 18.2 yards-per-reception, to go along with 59 carries for 365 yards and eight TDs — his market value could certainly take a dip.

NFC West Notes: Hawks, Davis-Price, Rams

June 11th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not big on making big cornerback investments, with Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension the exception, the Seahawks have some questions at the position ahead of training camp. A year after the team let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, 2021 starter D.J. Reed joined the Jets in March. The Seahawks did not use a first- or second-day draft pick at corner and, while they brought back Justin Coleman in the slot, have some uncertainty in how they will replace Reed. One option will be Artie Burns, the former Steelers first-round pick who signed a one-year, $2MM deal. Burns, 27, lined up opposite Sidney Jones with Seattle’s first-team defense at minicamp, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Burns, who worked as a late-season starter with the Bears last season, has not been looked upon as a primary starter since the Steelers benched him in 2018. A pair of fourth-round picks — second-year cover man Tre Brown and rookie Coby Bryant — loom as options as well. Brown did not participate in minicamp, due to the knee injury that ended his rookie slate. After nearly four years after his Steelers starter run wrapped, Burns has a chance to carve out a key role with his third team.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

The 49ers‘ Tyrion Davis-Price third-round pick was somewhat surprising, but bolstering a backfield featuring other notable assets may be a two-fold solution. While the 49ers have starter Elijah Mitchell, backup Jeff Wilson and 2021 third-rounder Trey Sermon, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the selection of the LSU running back choice doubled as an “olive branch” of sorts to Deebo Samuel. Kyle Shanahan using Samuel as a between-the-tackles back last season is believed to be one of the gripes the disgruntled wide receiver had when he made his trade request in April. Davis-Price joining the backfield will provide more insurance so that Samuel — his 6.2 yards-per-carry figure notwithstanding — will not be needed for such a role in 2022. The 49ers continue to work toward a Samuel extension.
The Rams‘ big-ticket extensions for Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp will create a bit of cap room in 2022. The defending Super Bowl champions are gaining $3.63MM in space, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, with Donald tied to a $24MM cap number and Kupp tethered to a $17.8MM figure. Los Angeles’ Donald and Kupp deals occurred two days apart. Donald is now the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, while Kupp’s new pact checks in at $26.7MM per year — fourth among wideouts — and carries a receiver-high $75MM guaranteed.
Shifting back to the Seahawks, they set to return their 2021 guard duo — Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis — but their oldest O-lineman will be returning from offseason knee surgery, per Condotta. Jackson, 30, missed OTAs and the Seahawks’ minicamp because of the procedure. The former Raiders starter is going into his ninth season. Because of the new contract the Seahawks gave Jackson last year, he is set to count $9MM toward their 2022 cap. Jackson only missed one game in his first Seahawks season.
Staying on the Seahawks’ O-line, the team will feature a right tackle competition in camp. Rookie Abraham Lucas will vie for the job against second-year blockers Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe, Condotta adds. A former UDFA, Curhan started five games last season. Forsythe, who has mostly worked as a left tackle during his short career, played just 14 offensive snaps as a rookie. Second-year Seattle OC Shane Waldron said he does not have an issue starting two rookies at tackle; No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross is set to succeed Duane Brown on the left side.

49ers Discussing Deebo Samuel Extension, Yet To Begin Nick Bosa Talks

June 8th, 2022 at 9:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Neither Deebo Samuel nor Nick Bosa participated fully during the first day of 49ers minicamp. Samuel did not go through any on-field work with the team, while Bosa shut down his activity following individual drills. Neither had participated in the team’s OTA sessions.

Samuel showing up represented a good sign for the 49ers, however, and Kyle Shanahan confirmed the team continues to discuss an extension with its All-Pro wide receiver, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. The sixth-year San Francisco HC is confident the parties will hammer out a deal before the season, per The Athletic’s David Lombardi (on Twitter).

Shanahan passed on addressing whether Samuel’s trade request is still on. That request surfaced before A.J. Brown‘s $25MM-per-year Eagles deal came to pass. With Samuel connected to $25MM ahead of that contract, for a player who has yet to put together an All-Pro season, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers are willing to pay him $10MM north of George Kittle‘s tight end-leading AAV. Other than Pierre Garcon‘s five-year, $47.5MM contract, the 49ers have not paid much at the receiver position under Shanahan. The 49ers’ initial offer was believed to come in south of $19MM per year.

Although the 49ers’ murky negotiations with Samuel are underway, Shanahan said the team has not begun any talks with Bosa. Samuel is going into a contract year, while Bosa’s rookie deal includes a fifth-year option — one the 49ers made the simple decision to exercise last month. The former No. 2 overall pick is tied to an $895K 2022 salary and $17.9MM fifth-year option price.

While Shanahan expects Bosa to be a 49er “for a very long time,” the team may not end up completing a deal with the two-time Pro Bowler this offseason. John Lynch said a Bosa deal has been budgeted, but a few other key pass rushers’ timelines — from Aaron Donald to T.J. Watt to Joey Bosa — included extensions ahead of their fifth seasons. Myles Garrett signed his Browns re-up after his third season, but that serves as an outlier among top-tier edge rushers. Von Miller‘s Broncos extension did not come to pass until after his fifth season. None of those teams had a Samuel-type situation to address, either. That and Jimmy Garoppolo‘s $26.9MM cap number will continue to cloud matters with the younger Bosa.

Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa To Report For 49ers Minicamp

June 7th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers discussed Deebo Samuel trades during the draft, after the wide receiver made a request to be moved in the days prior. But John Lynch has continued to insist the All-Pro is not available. The sixth-year GM reaffirmed this stance last week.

Samuel is not expected to wage a holdout. He will report for 49ers minicamp this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This does not necessarily mean the 49ers are out of the woods here, but Samuel showing up after missing OTAs represents a positive development for the team. San Francisco’s minicamp starts Tuesday.

Issues from Samuel’s contract to his role in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense to even his desire not to live in California factored into the trade request. The 49ers’ trade talks leading up to and during the draft, however, were not believed to be substantial. For now, Samuel remains a 49er and on track to play a fourth season with the team that drafted him.

Since Samuel’s trade request, the Titans balked at paying A.J. Brown, sending him to the Eagles for a package involving a first-round pick. The Eagles then gave the 2019 second-round pick a $25MM-per-year deal (third among wideouts) that included $56MM fully guaranteed (first). With Samuel having an All-Pro honor on his resume, he can make the Brown AAV his floor. Samuel was asking for around $25MM per year before the Brown contract emerged. That complicates matters for a cap-strapped 49ers team still carrying Jimmy Garoppolo‘s $26.9MM cap number. Garoppolo has been excused from minicamp, but his contract is an issue for a team with Samuel and Nick Bosa extensions on the radar.

The 49ers have not been high on paying wide receivers since Shanahan’s first year, when the team doled out a midlevel Pierre Garcon contract. Garcon did not excel in San Francisco and lasted two seasons with the team. After that, the 49ers turned to the draft at receiver, selecting Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk early. The team said it had a Samuel extension budgeted months ago, but that was before the deals for Brown, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill changed the market. The 49ers’ initial Samuel offer was believed to have come in below $19MM per year.

Bosa looks set to be at minicamp as well. Joining Samuel in skipping 49ers OTAs, Bosa was at the team facility this week, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). The fourth-year defender will, in fact, report to minicamp, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes. Bosa can aim to surpass T.J. Watt as the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher. Watt is tied to a $28MM-per-year deal. Although Aaron Donald is now earning more than $31MM annually on his recent reworking, Watt’s contract will likely be more pertinent in the 49ers’ Bosa talks.

49ers’ John Lynch Confirms Deebo Samuel’s Short-Term Future With Team

June 2nd, 2022 at 10:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The largest question looming over the 49ers right now remains that of Deebo Samuel‘s future with the team. In the aftermath of a trade request which did not lead to him being moved, general manager John Lynch spoke recently about his intentions of keeping the wideout.

When directly asked about Samuel’s future, Lynch said, “We haven’t traded him, and I’d be a fool to trade him, so yes, Deebo will be part of the 49ers this season” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The team’s front office has maintained their intention of keeping Samuel, but that statement is the most definitive to date with respect to quashing trade talk.

Samuel, 26, formally requested a trade one week before the draft in April. Not surprisingly, several teams showed interest in acquiring him, including the Jets; it was reported that they offered the No. 10 pick for the All-Pro receiver, but there was no point at which San Francisco came close to moving him.

Samuel has only one season remaining on his rookie contract, meaning that Lynch’s remarks could still refer strictly to the immediate future. He made it clear earlier in the offseason that the team had budgeted for sizeable extensions with both Samuel and Nick Bosa. However, there is a notable gap in the reported value of San Francisco’s initial offer and the terms Samuel is believed to be seeking on his second contract.

The South Carolina alum is currently absent from the team’s OTAs, something which has been expected since mid-April. In the absence of a new deal, Samuel will earn just under $4MM, while carrying a cap hit of $4.9MM. His level of play, especially this past season, has led many to believe he will be one of the next beneficiaries of the substantial upward trend in the receiver market around the league. While there is still plenty of time for a deal to be worked out, there is further evidence that Samuel will remain in the Bay Area for at least one more year.

Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa Absent From 49ers’ OTAs

May 24th, 2022 at 9:10am CST by Adam La Rose

As OTAs begin around the league, one of each team’s top storylines has to do with attendance. In the 49ers’ case this year, the bulk of attention is of course drawn to Deebo Samuel. As noted by Matt Barrows of the Athletic (subscription required), the wideout is not with the team currently.

That comes as no surprise, of course; Samuel was named as one of three 2019 draftees who would be skipping on-field work back in April. The timing of the decision was due to the fact that this offseason marks the first in which he can sign a new contract, and the recent dramatic upward trend in the receiver market around the league.

More specific to the Samuel situation in particular is the matter of his tenuous relationship with the club. The 26-year-old requested a trade, despite the team publicly stating that they had budgeted for an extension. A number of teams were interested in acquiring the All-Pro, including the Jets. New York was believed to have offered the No. 10 pick in the draft for him, but Samuel remains on the team for now.

San Francisco has made it clear they intend for that to remain the case, and that they did not get seriously involved in trade talks. With the draft having come and gone, and relations apparently warming to an extent between the two parties, attention is once again turning to his contract situation. The progress made on that front will remain a situation worth watching in the coming weeks.

As Barrows also notes, Nick Bosa is not in attendance for OTAs. The two-time Pro Bowler is working out with his brother Joey Bosa, which, Barrow writes, “he’d likely do if he had a long-term contract or not”. As another member of San Francisco’s 2019 draft class, Bosa is also eligible for a significant raise, though there has been far less controversy surrounding his contract status. Still, the way the 49ers handle the current situation with two of their young stars will be one of the top stories of their offseason.

NFC West Rumors: Samuel, Lynch, Cross, Mack, Rams

May 7th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel helped push the narrative that his relationship with San Francisco was deteriorating in early April when he unfollowed the 49ers and removed all references to the team from his social media. Well, according to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports, Samuel has signaled that things may be trending in a better direction lately.

Smith points out that Samuel refollowed the 49ers on Instagram and liked a post that showed general manager John Lynch saying that the issues between the two parties can be worked out.

Samuel is headed into the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for a nice, new payday. Smith makes a good point that new deals to Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs are going to make a new deal for Samuel fairly costly for the 49ers.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC West, starting with another note from the Bay Area:

Jake Hutchinson, the 49ers beat writer for KNBR, released some quotes from an interview with Lynch. Lynch commented on the progress of the team’s efforts to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, saying, “I felt we were close in some discussions, and then the decision was made to have surgery and it brought things to a screeching halt.” Lynch continued, “We either want to have Jimmy playing for us, which we’re alright with, or we want him to get the value.”
During a press conference with Seahawks general manager and executive vice president John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll after the Draft, ESPN’s Brady Henderson released a video containing some of their thoughts on the No. 9 overall pick, Mississippi State tackle Charles Cross. In it, the two specify that they see Cross on the blindside, playing left tackle. They don’t have concerns about him transitioning from Mike Leach‘s spread offense at Mississippi State due to Cross’s athleticism. They also felt very fortunate to have had Cross fall to them at 9, noting that there were opportunities to move up or down.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic wrote an article going over the results of the 49ers’ 2022 Draft. He notes that the two Day 3-additions of UTSA tackle Spencer Burford and Fordham tackle Nick Zakelj both played tackle in college, but project as NFL guards, similar to past draft picks Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore. While slightly problematic that none of these linemen specialize at guard or tackle, it’s extremely problematic that none of them have experience at center. With current center Alex Mack sitting at 36 and contemplating retirement, it’s important that San Francisco begins to look at options beyond Mack to play center.
In a rundown of the Rams’ 2022 Draft, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic unveiled an interesting rumor about how highly Los Angeles valued their third-round draft pick, Wisconsin guard Logan Bruss. With plenty of time before their selection arrived, the Rams knew Bruss was the player they wanted to target at No. 104 overall. Upon the suggestion of now-retired left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was in the Rams’ draft room, Los Angeles made a few efforts to move up to select Bruss earlier. Unfortunately for them, the teams they called declined. Fortunately for them, though, Bruss found his way to Southern California despite their inability to move up.

49ers Not Close To Trading Deebo Samuel

April 30th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Offers came in for Deebo Samuel, whose trade request occurred 10 days ago. But the 49ers held firm and were not believed to have seriously engaged. That approach differed from the Titans’, with A.J. Brown now an Eagle due to contract considerations.

Brown’s $25MM-per-year deal will affect the 49ers’ partnership with Samuel, but the latter remains a 49er. With this week serving as a loose deadline for a trade, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, Samuel may not be on the move anytime soon.

“You’ll consider anything. You’ve got a responsibility to help your organization the most you can, but there’s no player like Deebo,” Shanahan said, via Wagoner. “It’s hard to see how that helps your organization. So, you try to look into all the aspects of it and what people are willing to do and nothing was even remotely close that we thought it would be fair for the Niners.”

The Jets were believed to have offered their No. 10 overall pick for Samuel, but that offer would have also included the 49ers’ No. 61 overall choice going to New York. It does not look like the Lions offered No. 2 overall, with Detroit’s proposal being referred to as “light” on Friday. Aaron Rodgers also discussed the matter during his latest Pat McAfee Show cameo, acknowledging the 49ers trading a player like this to the Packers was unlikely.

Although the sides can still huddle up to resolve this matter, Shanahan said he was “a little disappointed” and “surprised” by this saga’s developments. Nevertheless, Samuel is still under contract through 2022. The 49ers have budgeted an extension, and although their initial offer (believed to be under $19MM per year) irked Samuel’s camp, plenty of time remains for a negotiation to be finalized. The 49ers did not re-up George Kittle until midway through training camp ahead of his contract year.

“You can work out anything,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see. Hopefully when this is all said and done, we’ll get the best thing for the Niners and the best thing for Deebo and hopefully that’s the same thing because we’d love to keep going how we’ve been. But we know that’s in front of us right now.”

Draft Notes: Remaining QBs, Jets, Vikings, Burks, Johnson

April 29th, 2022 at 5:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the main storylines from last night’s first round was the fact that only one quarterback came off the board. The Steelers have their preferred choice in Kenny Pickett, but the other top options likely won’t have to wait long to hear their names called.

Jeff Howe of the Athletic reports (via Twitter) that “several teams” are trying to move up in the second round. As a result, there is “anticipation that a QB run could be on the way”. A number of teams could be interested in adding the likes of Malik Willis, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral as intriguing developmental options.

On that point, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer names the Titans, Falcons, Seahawks and Commanders as teams to watch for. He reports that “Ridder’s name has been consistently connected to Tennessee”, who now holds the 35th overall pick. The other teams have done significant work on signal-callers as well. Perhaps eyeing a passer, the Seahawks have made “exploratory calls” about moving up tonight, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

Here are some other notes looking back on last night:

The Jets, as it has been reported, were willing to part with the No. 10 pick for Deebo Samuel. They almost made a different deal with that selection, though, as detailed by ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). New York wanted to swap with Seattle for No. 9 to avoid a team leapfrogging them to select Garrett Wilson. Both teams were able to successfully stand pat, ultimately getting Charles Cross and Wilson, respectively.
Not long after the top-10 was complete, the Vikings ceded the 12th overall pick to the Lions. With their second first-rounder, Detroit selected Jameson Williams, who may have been the pick at that spot had Minnesota kept it. Breer reports that the Alabama receiver “was very much in play ” for the Vikings, who added Lewis Cine and two Day 2 picks as a result of the deal.
Another of the top receivers to be taken last night was Treylon Burks, whom the Titans selected as a replacement for A.J. Brown. When speaking to Pat McAfee, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Arkansas alum “was the guy Aaron Rodgers wanted” (video link). With him off the board, the Packers extended their streak of not using a Round 1 pick on a wideout, but he reports that they are a candidate to trade up for one tonight (video link).
One of the most surprising fallers on Thursday night was pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II. Part of the reason he was still on the board for the Jets at No. 25, Breer notes, was poor interviews with teams in the pre-draft process. Thought by some as a top-10 pick, he ended up with the Jets anyway, and figures to serve as a notable boost to their pass rush.

Jets Offered No. 10 Overall For Deebo Samuel

April 29th, 2022 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to veteran receivers throughout the offseason, the Jets ended up using the No. 10 overall pick to address the position. Garrett Wilson will be tasked with elevating Zach Wilson, but the Jets did make an offer for Deebo Samuel.

The 49ers turned down the Jets’ proposal — the No. 10 overall pick and a fifth-rounder for Samuel and San Francisco’s second-rounder (No. 61) — according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, who adds the Lions made an offer as well. Detroit’s offer was viewed as “light” for the All-Pro wideout. It does not sound like the 49ers seriously engaged with the Jets or Lions, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

The Jets were viewed as the frontrunners for Samuel, though the Lions and Packers pursued him as well. Samuel’s trade request surfaced April 20, though the 49ers learned about it well before then. Multiple teams were believed to have offered first-round picks for Samuel. The Lions might have included their No. 32 overall choice in their respective package. Detroit ended up using its No. 32 pick to trade up for Jameson Williams.

Gang Green did not include a first-rounder in its Tyreek Hill offer but did put both its second-round picks and a third in that proposal — one the Chiefs were prepared to accept. Hill’s preference for Miami led to a second-place Jets finish there. The Jets were also linked to using the No. 10 overall pick in a D.K. Metcalf proposal. Given the second-round pick that would have come back to the Jets in the Samuel offer, the 49ers exited the talks to lead the AFC East team to focus on draft options at receiver.

Like a Hill trade, a Samuel swap would have required the Jets to work out a monster extension. Garrett Wilson, though an unproven commodity at the pro level, can be controlled through 2026 on a rookie deal. Still, the events of Thursday night will make matters more difficult for the 49ers. Samuel’s trade request came when all his 2019 receiver classmates were tied to their rookie contracts. A.J. Brown has since agreed to a four-year, $100MM deal.

The 49ers’ initial Samuel offer was believed to be for less than $19MM annually. While Samuel is reportedly now against being used as a running back and may or may not have issues with living in California, the 49ers will certainly need to up their offer now that Brown is tied to his new contract.

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