Thursday night was a pivotal milestone in the timeline of the Deebo Samuel saga. If the San Francisco 49ers were going to trade their dynamic wide receiver, it likely would have happened during or before the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. That's when the Niners could get the most value for Samuel, who recently requested to be traded.
The betting favorite to acquire Samuel from the 49ers were the New York Jets, who reportedly offered the No. 10 overall pick and a later "pick swap" for the receiver, per Ian Rapoport. The deal didn't end up happening, and Samuel's leverage likely took a hit.
At No. 10, the #Jets select their their speed WR, grabbing OSU's Garrett Wilson. This was the pick they offered to the #49ers (in a package) for Deebo Samuel. They use it for a WR instead.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2022
Two other draft-day wide receiver trades went down. The Baltimore Ravens shipped Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals, and the Tennessee Titans sent A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles. Rapoport immediately reported that the Eagles agreed to a contract extension for Brown. That is certainly relevant for the 49ers and Samuel. Brown was part of Samuel's draft class, and the two receivers share the same agent.
Source: New #Eagles WR AJ Brown gets a 4 Yr ext for $100M
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2022
57M Guaranteed
It's unlikely San Francisco trades Samuel for day two or three draft picks. It's also unlikely they ship him out of Santa Clara for a 2023 selection when the team has to wait the entire season to learn what picks they will receive.
Samuel remaining on the roster means two things: the 49ers view him as too valuable to the team's future and feel the situation with their disgruntled wideout can be amicably resolved. The latter is key. In requesting a trade, Samuel has expressed that playing for the 49ers is no longer desirable. Therefore, the team will need to work to change his mind and sign him to a contract extension.
"I can't ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo," general manager John Lynch said this week. "... We've got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he's brought, but you just don't let guys like that walk. I can't envision a scenario where we would."
Last season, what he brought to the team was 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. That's not something an organization wants to take away from second-year quarterback Trey Lance as he likely enters his first NFL season as a starter.
It's also noteworthy that the Carolina Panthers did not end up drafting a quarterback in the first round. For now, that leaves the door open for a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade down the road.
While it ended up being an uneventful day for the 49ers, that is good news for fans who hoped Samuel would remain with the team. San Francisco owns nine selections over the next two days, with the first coming at No. 61 overall in the second round.
