Trades to Make: San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel

With the NFL regular season coming up fast, teams are finalizing their rosters. However, there's still time for an aggressive team to shake up the league with a savvy trade. Here are the top remaining trade candidates who could be the difference between contention and disappointment for the right franchise.

Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been the subject of non-stop trade rumors all offseason, but recent reports suggest the 49ers intend to extend the former first-round pick. Considering that the 49ers already have All-Pro tight end George Kittle and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on top-of-the-market deals, the 49ers are barrelling towards an unsustainable cap situation with their pass catchers. Something has to give, and teams around the NFL know it.

Enter Deebo Samuel. Samuel is an incredible player with rare yards-after-catch ability and a unique willingness to contribute as a punishing inside runner, but the 49ers roster is so absurdly stacked at this point that his production has tailed off considerably since his breakout 2021 season. After contributing a stunning 1770 yards from scrimmage that year, he dropped to 864 in 2022 and 1117 in 2023.

The 49ers have clearly expected to part ways with a wide receiver for some time: they acquired Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If they're finally willing to give Aiyuk a massive extension, then they should make Samuel available. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will become extension-eligible next offseason, likely forcing some very difficult cap decisions. Seeing how he plays without Samuel will give the 49ers a much clearer view of his long-term viability as a franchise quarterback.

Who should be interested?

With more touches and targets, Samuel could easily rejoin the NFL's elite at his position. The explosion of the wide receiver market in recent years has also meant his current contract has become a relative bargain: he's due approximately $23.8 million in total compensation this year and another $19.4 million in 2025. Teams should be elated for the opportunity to acquire him for a first or second-round pick.

Samuel offers a much different skillset than Aiyuk, operating more as a punishing catch-and-run possession receiver than a downfield threat. Still, any team that lacks a clearcut WR1 (or feels like splurging on a WR2) should look long and hard at Samuel. The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers should be particularly desperate to add a trust-worthy veteran pass catcher. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns were also reportedly interested in Aiyuk; Samuel would arguably be a superior fit for both teams.