Deebo Samuel blossomed into one of the NFL's most unique talents during his breakout 2021 season with the 49ers.
His ability to line up anywhere on the field helped him evolve into a one-of-a-kind player. That versatility even led to him creating a new position for himself: wide back.
But things took a dramatic turn as the 49ers entered the offseason and Samuel requested a trade out of San Francisco.
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While it’s not clear what went wrong between Samuel and the 49ers, the NFL world continues to speculate why the 26-year-old wants to be traded. Money, his role and even being closer to home have been the speculated reasons.
If it's indeed the way the 49ers used him, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky believes that changes Samuel's trade value.
“Some of the reports that we’ve heard are that he doesn’t like the way the 49ers have used him when it comes to his role and he doesn’t want to be a part of that anymore,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “Get Up” this week. “And this is what I would say to that: What makes him different makes him great. And if that’s the case, and you are a team that is interested in acquiring Deebo Samuel, that lessens his value to you.
“If you’re a team like the Green Bay Packers that should be interested, if he’s not going to be used in the screen game, or the run game like San Francisco did, that lessens his value. The New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Baltimore Ravens, if he’s not going to be on board with you being able to use him as a weapon like that, I think it lessens the value and the impact that he can give your football team.”
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In his third NFL season, Samuel accumulated 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. But it’s how those yards were spread that differentiated him from everyone else.
The All-Pro wide receiver finished the season with 1,559 receiving yards and 502 rushing yards, making him the first wide receiver in NFL history to record more than 1,300 receiving yards more than 300 rushing in the same season.
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49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s decision to use Samuel in the backfield for five to 15 snaps per game was game-changing and career-changing for the wide receiver. That's why folks are left scratching their heads trying to understand why the sudden trade request.
Whether it’s because the East Coast native doesn’t like living in California, concerns about the 49ers moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo and shifting to Trey Lance at quarterback, or Samuel's usage, San Francisco -- and the other 31 teams in the league -- will have important decisions to consider as the 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner.