Deebo Samuel - Pro Football Rumors

Deebo Samuel Eyeing $25MM Per Year?

April 13th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers have major extensions looming for their top two picks in the 2019 draft. The second of those selections, Deebo Samuel, has generated plenty of storylines recently with regard to his next contract.

On that point, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network reports that Samuel “will be looking for a contract in the range of about $25MM per year”. That figure would place him amongst the highest-paid wideouts in the league, as the market at the position has been reset this offseason through deals signed by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs.

An average at or near $25MM-per-season would also fall in line with what had recently been reported Samuel’s next contract would look like. Anything above $21MM would rank him ahead of other recently re-signed receivers D.J. Moore, Chris Godwin and Mike Williams.

In three seasons in San Francisco, the South Carolina product has established himself as one of not only the most productive, but also the most unique players in the league. He has made 167 catches for 2,598 yards and 10 touchdowns, but added a significant element to the team’s rushing attack. He has totalled 550 yards and 11 scores on the ground, most of which came this season. His emergence as a ‘wide-back’ earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors for the first time in his career in 2021.

As Pauline notes, there doesn’t appear to be any concern over the 49ers’ willingness to accommodate that sizeable of a contract request. Moving on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would free up more than $25MM in 2022 cap space to make a deal possible in the immediate future; more generally, the organization has publicly stated that long-term extensions for both Samuel and Nick Bosa have been “budgeted for“.

This figure being reported was preceded, of course, by Samuel removing all mention of the 49ers from his social media profiles. If the two sides can agree on a new contract, which seem to be a strong possibility at this point, though, he will likely be able to move forward as a pillar of the team’s offense.

Latest On Deebo Samuel

April 1st, 2022 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

After his most productive season to date, Deebo Samuel is eligible for a new contract for the first time in his career. Given the recent shifts in the WR market, he should be in line for a healthy raise relative to his rookie deal. On that point, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco recently wrote about the terms he should be receiving shortly.

General manager John Lynch has already made it clear that new deals for both Samuel and fellow 2019 draftee Nick Bosa have been “budgeted for”. The former second rounder stood out in his rookie season, posting 961 scrimmage yards. That was followed by an injury-marred 2020 campaign, but he had a breakout year this past season.

The South Carolina alum totalled 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, good for a league-leading average of 18.2 yards per reception. Taking on a larger role in the team’s run game down the stretch, however, he added another 365 yards and eight scores on the ground. During San Francisco’s run to the NFC title game, Samuel recorded 291 combined yards and two total touchdowns in three games.

That production, as Maiocco notes, should elevate the All-Pro ‘wide-back’ near the top of the league in terms of annual compensation. The position has seen a number of market-shifting contracts in recent weeks, most notably the deals given to Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams. Extensions signed by the likes of D.J. Moore, Chris Godwin and Mike Williams have also reached the $20MM-per-year plateau.

Keeping in mind the aforementioned deals, Maiocco writes that “the true numbers on Samuel’s contract extension can be expected to be no lower than $22MM per season and, probably, no higher than $24MM annually”. Those figures would place him just short of the top spot at the position. If both sides can begin negotiations in that range, though, there could rightfully be “plenty of optimism” that a long-term pact can be finalized before the start of the 2022 season.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Arkansas WR Treylon Burks

March 6th, 2022 at 9:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Treylon Burks has spent his entire life living in Arkansas. The kid is Arkansas born and raised. After only three years of play at the University of Arkansas, NFL teams are dying to give Burks his first home outside of The Natural State.

Burks left Warren High School as the top-ranked player in the state, despite missing most of his senior season due to a torn ACL. The multi-sport athlete signed to continue his education in-state and made an immediate impact. As a true freshman, Burks gave the Razorbacks 475 yards receiving. Although, Burks is a big-body receiver (measured at 6’2″ and 225 lb. this weekend in Indianapolis), the freshman was so explosive in the open field that his coaches gave him kick- and punt-returner duties. Burks took the opportunity and ran with it, being named 2nd Team All-Sec as a return specialist his freshman year.

In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Burks broke out in a big way, racking up 820 yards and 7 touchdowns in only 8 games. With all eyes on him and expectations sky-high for the 2021 college season, Burks soared. Despite constant double-teams as the only perceived receiving threat for the Razorbacks, Burks still managed to catch 66 balls for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He even managed to add on 112 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to the ledger.

As a pro, Burks screams No. 1 receiver material. He has the physical, big body to dominate in jump ball scenarios along with run-after-catch ability to be a threat outside the red-zone, as well. He tracks and adjusts to the ball well in the air and his catch radius will give his future quarterback a bit of leeway to just throw the ball in his general direction. His versatility from college with returns and some rushing attempts have appropriately earned him multiple comparisons to a big-bodied Deebo Samuel.

In The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s prospect position rankings from December, Burks was listed as the third best receiver behind Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Alabama’s Jameson Williams. Many mock drafts see Burks as the second or third wide receiver generally taken off the board behind Wilson and USC’s Drake London. Burks is nearly a consensus first round pick, with many evaluators predicting him to gone by the second half of the first round.

Regardless of when he gets picked up, the lack of any NFL teams in Arkansas guarantees that Burks will soon be heading for a new destination. Whichever team gives him a call on draft night is going to receive an NFL-ready, Day 1 starter ready to compete with NFL corners. Look for teams who currently lack a true No. 1 receiver to pull the trigger somewhere in the middle of the first round, if not earlier.

49ers Planning Extensions For Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel

February 28th, 2022 at 12:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Change is inevitable for the 49ers this offseason, especially at the quarterback position. Two major pieces to their run to the NFC Championship game, though, could be getting new contracts in the near future. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reports that extensions for Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel are in the team’s plans.

“We fully understand these guys are pillars of what we’re trying to do here”, general manger John Lynch said recently. “We’ve been blessed that we’ve been aggressive, because we’ve had a lot of players that we believe are some of the best in the league at what they do. And these guys are no different… I’m sure that we’ll find a way to get [extensions] done. It’s been budgeted for”.

Bosa has been the focal point of the team’s defense since being drafted second overall in 2019. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first campaign, helping the team to the Super Bowl. He missed almost all of his second campaign due to a torn ACL, but returned to play all 17 games in 2021. His 52 stops – including a league-leading 21 tackles for loss – along with 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles helped lead San Francisco on a late-season surge to the postseason, and all the way to the conference title game.

Samuel, the 49ers’ second selection in that 2019 draft, has followed a somewhat similar path in terms of his career arc so far. After an impressive rookie season, he missed nine games in 2020. His 2021 campaign, however, proved that he was back to full strength and capable of becoming the focal point of the team’s offense. Establishing himself as a ‘wide back’, he posted 1,404 receiving yards and six touchdowns, along with 365 yards and an additional eight scores on the ground.

Finding money to accommodate the two young stars should become easier in March. As Wagoner detailed last week, the contracts of not only Jimmy Garoppolo but also edge rusher Dee Ford are likely to come off the books. A Garoppolo trade (which would clear more than $25MM in cap space) has seemed inevitable since the selection of Trey Lance last April, while designating Ford a post-June 1st cut would yield another $2.4MM in savings. The latter move is believed to also be all-but guaranteed, after Ford battled injuries and totalled just 9.5 total sacks in three seasons with San Francisco.

Between those expected moves, and some other cap maneuvering such as restructures, the 49ers should open up enough space to be able to afford their next round of major extensions.

Latest On 49ers’ Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel

January 25th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

There was cause for concern for the 49ers after their upset win over the Packers on Saturday. Left tackle Trent Williams suffered an ankle injury in the game, and was seen on crutches afterward.

However, head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an encouraging update on Monday. He said that X-rays on the ankle came back negative, and that he’ll be “managed during practice” throughout the week. He admitted, though, that the 33-year-old’s availability for Sunday’s NFC Championship game is uncertain at this point.

Williams was a question mark to play in the team’s Wild Card win over the Cowboys due to an elbow injury suffered in Week 17. He sat out the regular season finale – which would have ended San Francisco’s season if not for a come-from-behind victory over their next opponent, the Rams – but was able to start once again for both playoff games. The nine-time Pro Bowler has continued to play at an elite level in his second season with the 49ers, an encouraging sign give that he is under contract with the team for another five years after this.

Shanahan also provided an update on Deebo Samuel. He said the hybrid receiver/running back took a helmet to the knee during Saturday’s game, but that he “should be at practice” tomorrow. Especially if Williams were able to suit up, the undisputed catalyst of the 49ers’ offense would once again play a major role in trying to help the team reach a second Super Bowl in the past three years.

49ers Rule Out Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw For Week 13

December 3rd, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, Deebo Samuel will not play for the 49ers in Week 13. The third-year wide receiver suffered a groin strain and could miss multiple games. San Francisco’s linebacking corps will be shorthanded as well.

Dre Greenlaw, who returned from a lengthy IR stay last week, is back among the 49ers’ inactives. The team ruled out its third-year linebacker starter because of a groin injury.

Samuel has been prone to injuries as a pro. He missed the start of last season because of a Jones fracture in his foot. After returning, the former second-round pick suffered a hamstring injury that led to the then-malady-riddled 49ers shutting him down for the rest of the season.

Sunday will mark Samuel’s 11th missed game as a 49er, though the Pro Bowl-bound talent said during an appearance on CBS Sports HQ this week (via 49ers Webzone) he has no doubt he will be back for Week 14. Through 11 games, Samuel has already cleared 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and has tacked on 203 rushing yards.

This will be Greenlaw’s 10th missed game this season. The 49ers are also likely to be without Fred Warner on their defensive second level. The All-Pro suffered a hamstring strain during San Francisco’s win over Minnesota, and he is doubtful to play Sunday in Seattle. This leaves Azeez Al-Shaair as the 49ers’ lone healthy starter at linebacker.

Additionally, Kyle Shanahan said Dee Ford is unlikely to be activated off IR ahead of Sunday’s game, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. The 49ers designated Ford for return on Nov. 25. He has three weeks from that date to come back. Should Ford’s ramp-up period not include an activation by Dec. 16, he would spend the rest of the season on IR. Ford is attempting to play through a back injury Shanahan has acknowledged will likely plague the oft-injured pass rusher for the rest of his career and beyond.

Latest on 49ers’ Deebo Samuel

November 29th, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Ely Allen

In yesterday’s win over the Vikings, Niners’ wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the game with a groin injury. Kyle Shanahan has updated the media with news that Samuel suffered a strain and is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, according to a tweet from Nick Wagoner of ESPN.

Prior to leaving last night, Samuel had been enjoying a breakout year, utilizing health and experience to tally a team-leading 1,006 yards on 56 catches. He’s also currently second on the team in rushing yards with 203. Not to mention, he leads the team in both rushing and receiving TDs with five of each.

While San Francisco still has star tight end George Kittle to rely on, they’ll need second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk to step up in Samuel’s absence. Shanahan’s update also included news on linebacker Fred Warner who will miss at least this week with a strained hamstring. This is the first game Warner will have missed since being drafted in 2018, snapping a 62-game consecutive start streak (including postseason games). They hope to see him back in action for the Bengals.

49ers’ Deebo Samuel To Miss Time

November 29th, 2021 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to miss time following his groin injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be too serious, so Samuel should be able to return later this season.

Samuel, 26 in January, will know more about his outlook following today’s MRI. Still, the expectation is that he’ll be back before long, giving defenses fits at both wide receiver and running back. Through eleven games, Samuel has 56 catches for 1,006 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, he’s also been doing damage from the backfield. Last night, he racked up 66 rushing yards and two TDs off of just six carries. That brought him to 203 yards and five scores on the year, all from just 25 totes. The Niners are unlikely to have Samuel in the lineup when they face the Seahawks on Sunday, but he’ll be on the field before long.

Meanwhile, the Niners are hoping for more good news regarding the rest of their injured players. Along with Samuel, running back Trey Sermon (ankle) and linebackers Fred Warner (hamstring) and Dre Greenlaw (groin) find themselves in the questionable column.

49ers To Activate Kittle, Gould From IR

November 5th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers will have some key players in uniform Sunday against the Cardinals. George Kittle and Robbie Gould will come off IR before Saturday’s roster-setting deadline, Kyle Shanahan said Friday.

Kittle has been down because of a calf injury. The All-Pro tight end attempted to play through the issue in Week 4, but the 49ers opted to shut him down the following week. Gould’s activation became fairly clear after the 49ers waived fill-in Joey Slye earlier this week.

Since signing his big-ticket extension last year, Kittle has struggled to stay on the field. He missed time because of a knee sprain and a fractured foot last season. Those injuries limited Kittle to eight games in 2020. He has missed three thus far this year. This will help a passing attack that may be without Deebo Samuel.

Battling a calf injury, Samuel is questionable for Week 9. Shanahan said his top receiver’s injury worsened this week, via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman (on Twitter). The 49ers missing Samuel would be rather significant, given his dominance to start the season. Samuel has 819 receiving yards, topping Jerry Rice‘s through-seven-games franchise best. Samuel, of course, joined Kittle on the injury front last season. He missed nine games in 2020.

Shanahan added Jeff Wilson has a chance to make his season debut in Week 9. Previously given a late-November return timetable, Wilson has “kind of taken off,” in his recovery from a foot injury as of late, Shanahan said (per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, on Twitter). The 49ers re-signed the veteran running back this offseason, but he suffered the injury over the summer.

49ers To Shut Down Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel; George Kittle Return In Play

December 22nd, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Raheem Mostert and Deebo Samuel will see their injury-marred seasons end early. The 49ers are shutting down both players with two games to go, Kyle Shanahan said (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman).

Both ran into multiple injuries this year, causing the second-year starters to miss significant time in what became a widespread injury-plagued 49ers season. Each player is under contract beyond this season, with Samuel’s rookie deal running through 2022 and Mostert’s pact expiring after next season.

The 49ers, however, are not opting to shut down all their injured skill-position talents. George Kittle has returned to practice, and Inman notes the All-Pro tight end is on pace to return against the Cardinals. Kittle, who has not played since suffering a foot fracture Nov. 1, would catch passes from his former college quarterback if he does return. The 49ers will start Iowa alum C.J. Beathard over Nick Mullens on Saturday.

A 2017 third-round pick, Beathard has worked as San Francisco’s third-string quarterback for much of his NFL tenure. His contract expires at season’s end. Mullens suffered what is believed to be ligament damage in his elbow against the Cowboys, Inman notes, and will likely need Tommy John surgery. He is due to be a restricted free agent in March.

Kittle will only play if he’s 100%, per Shanahan, who noted the 49ers will not shut down their star tight end if he is fully healthy — despite having been eliminated from playoff contention last week.

Mostert left Sunday’s game because of ankle trouble. The special-teamer-turned-RB1 sustained an MCL sprain in September and injured his ankle upon returning in October. Mostert, 28, was not able to surmount the latter malady. Mostert did end a second straight season averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry, however, though he only managed 104 totes this season. Samuel sustained a foot fracture before training camp but was able to return fairly early in the season. However, a hamstring injury hampered Samuel shortly after he returned. The 2019 second-round pick caught 33 passes for 391 yards over seven games this season.

Jimmy Garoppolo will resume practicing this week, but Shanahan said (via Inman) he would be surprised if doctors deem San Francisco’s QB1 100%. It is likely Beathard will handle the 49ers’ final two starts at quarterback. A high ankle sprain sidelined Garoppolo at multiple junctures this season. He played in just six games. Shanahan said last month the plan is for Garoppolo to return as the team’s starter in 2021, though the franchise will surely explore other options this offseason. Two years remain on Garoppolo’s contract, one the 49ers can move without incurring much dead money.