Deebo Samuel has requested a trade, but will the 49ers grant his wish?
Peter King doesn’t seem to think so.
The NBC Sports NFL Insider on Wednesday told 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” that he would be “very surprised” if San Francisco trades Samuel by the 2022 NFL Draft next Thursday, if at all.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I think very probably, we’re getting ahead of ourselves because I doubt sincerely that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have thought seriously about trading Deebo Samuel,” King said. “That is going to have to be a pretty rapid decision if you're going to get it done in the span of eight days. So we'll see.”
Samuel is eligible for a contract extension, and negotiations don’t appear to be going well. From cryptic social media scrubs and deleted posts to asking for a trade outright, the assumption is that the 49ers’ multifaceted wide receiver isn’t happy in San Francisco.
King believes there are several factors the 49ers’ front office needs to consider when deciding whether or not to trade Samuel. He told “Damon & Ratto” he would be shocked if the trade happens, but pointed out the swiftness of Tyreek Hill’s trade while noting nothing can be completely ruled out in the world of professional football.
The decision comes down to two things: money and value. Other wide receivers like Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs have all signed lucrative contracts this offseason, and Samuel is looking for the same.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Meanwhile, Samuel’s agent Tory Dandy also represents other NFL receivers like A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, who are likely aspiring to receive Hill-Adams-Diggs money as well.
For King, Samuel’s statistics don’t align with the dollar amount he’s allegedly asking for.
“I love Deebo Samuel and everybody loves Deebo Samuel, but he basically has had one great year,” King said. “Those other guys we’re talking about have had more than one great year. Not that he doesn’t deserve the money that he deserves, because he is a unicorn player. But, you have to understand that he does not have the same resume as those other guys.”
So is Samuel worth it, or should the 49ers explore trade packages for him and hope the draft picks they receive in return for their star “wide back” will pan out?
“In order to sign Deebo long term right now, it's obviously going to take more money than the Niners had even dreamed of,” King said. “You're basically, really tearing up your salary scale in a way that you don't want to do because of all the good players you need to pay on this team.
“... I think [Lynch and Shanahan] have to bring [assistant general manager] Adam Peters into the room … The scouting prowess is fantastic, and I think you have to ask him and ask all your scouts, ‘Is there a Justin Jefferson in this draft? Is there a Deebo Samuel in this draft? … Is it going to be worth it?'”
RELATED: 49ers' recent history could give optimism for Deebo's return
As King predicted earlier this month, the 49ers are in quite a quandary. It’s not quite clear where things went wrong between Samuel and the team that drafted him three years ago, but King doesn’t believe 49ers fans need to panic.
“This is a story, there's no question about it,” King said. “It's a significant story, but I don't look at this right now and say, ‘Oh my God, Deebo Samuel's never going to play for the 49ers again.’”