The San Francisco 49ers and star receiver Deebo Samuel are seemingly at a standstill after Samuel shocked everyone and requested a trade from the organization last week.
It appears that the 49ers are reluctant to trade Samuel, which makes sense considering how important he was to the team’s offense last season. In 2021, the wideout made his first Pro Bowl appearance after a breakout season in which he racked in 77 catches for 1405 receiving yards, while providing some intriguing ability as a running back as well with 365 rushing yards.
While losing Samuel would obviously have a negative effect on the team, his value may be at an all-time high in the trade market.
With the 2022 NFL Draft set to begin on Thursday, it was reported earlier this week that the 49ers would likely be looking for at least two first-round picks in return for Samuel if they were to trade him.
It remains to be seen if any team is offering that much, but according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, many around the NFL believe that the New York Jets are a frontrunner if the 49ers ultimately decide to trade Samuel.
“Many of the people that I spoke to around the league consider the Jets the front-runners, though even some interested teams don’t expect the 49ers to move off Samuel in the short-term,” wrote Fowler on Wednesday. “Multiple teams are calling, and it’s believed San Francisco is at least listening.”
The Jets makes a lot of sense if Samuel were to move on from San Francisco. They have a number of coaches on their staff that are familiar with Samuel’s skill set, including head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who were both previously with the 49ers organization.
As far as how much they would give up, there were rumors that the Jets have offered the 49ers a package involving their first and second-round pick in this upcoming draft as well as wide receiver Elijah Moore, but NFL insider Matt Lombardo has said that there is “zero truth” to those rumors.
I’m told per multiple league sources there is “zero” truth to the #Jets offering any sort of package that included No. 10, No. 35, Elijah Moore, etc. to the #49ers for Deebo Samuel. #NFL
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) April 27, 2022
If Samuel continues to hold firm that he wants out of San Francisco and potentially holds out from the team’s training camp this fall, the 49ers may have no choice but to eventually trade him.
