Amid the Super Bowl LIX festivities, the news dropped that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has requested a trade from the team. This isn’t the first time he’s wanted to move on but his value to the team has diminished and it’s likely that the feeling is mutual.
The Las Vegas Raiders have one good wide receiver in Jakobi Meyers but the depth behind him leaves a lot to be desired. Considering Samuel’s contract situation, he’s not going to get the 49ers a big return in a trade.
The Raiders could consider buying low on the former All-Pro. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that would have Las Vegas deal a conditional 2025 third-round pick to the 49ers to get Samuel.
“Las Vegas has the cap space needed to immediately sign Samuel to an extension, and it could then use the rest of its financial flexibility to other areas, like its offensive line and backfield,” Knox wrote in a Feb. 9 column.
“It’s worth noting that the Seattle Seahawks were reportedly interested in drafting Samuel back in 2019, per [Adam] Schefter, when Carroll was Seattle’s head coach.”
The Raiders traded Davante Adams to the New York Jets for a third-round pick during the season. If they made this trade, it would be effectively trading Adams for Samuel.
Deebo Samuel Has Not Been a Productive WR
The 49ers may have a difficult time finding a suitor for Samuel. While he is a former All-Pro, he hasn’t been that productive as a wide receiver in recent years. Since his 2021 season that saw him accumulate 1,405 receiving yards, he hasn’t had more than 892 receiving yards in three straight seasons.
His upside as a player who could also make plays in the backfield as a rusher has diminished as well. At this point, Samuel is an average No. 2 wide receiver or a high-end No. 3 wide receiver. A third-round pick might even be too rich to trade for him.
One thing that’s appealing is that he is on an expiring deal. If the Raiders trade for him, they may be better off letting him play out his contract to see if he’s a fit. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is a creative playcaller and could get intrigued by Samuel’s versatility.
Raiders Could Be Aggressive Addressing WR
As Knox pointed out, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has been interested in Samuel in the past. He knows the wide receiver well from his time as the Seattle Seahawks head coach. Even if the Raiders don’t want Samuel, they are likely to be aggressive in addressing the wide receiver need.
Meyers and star tight end Brock Bowers are a good start but adding a star wide receiver to this group could really open up the passing game. The Raiders also don’t have a clear path to adding a star quarterback this offseason so they could simply try to put together the strongest offense possible to support an average quarterback. Luckily, the Raiders have plenty of salary cap space and should be able to add high-end skill players if they’d like to.
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