The book is still out on whether or not the San Francisco 49ers will trade their star playmaker in Deebo Samuel, who submitted a request to be dealt out of the Bay Area last week.
Reports indicated that the star wide receiver was frustrated with his role in San Francisco as he was used as a dual-threat option rather than a true wide receiver.
Performing under the parameters he labeled as a “wide back”, though, made Samuel one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the NFL last season with 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns along with 365 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
And Niners general manager John Lynch said on Monday that he “can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo.”
It’s a pretty clear statement that San Francisco doesn’t want to trade the 26-year-old, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler — appearing on Get Up! Tuesday morning — said that the organization will still listen to offers should they come in.
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Fowler also added that the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers are three teams that are showing some level of interest.
The Jets have long been devoid of a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, which is something the franchise desperately needs to pair alongside second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.
They attempted to address the need last offseason by bringing in Corey Davis and drafting Elijah Moore, but neither are at that elite level that Samuel currently is. New York was also a finalist for Tyreek Hill, but they lost out to the Miami Dolphins.
In Detroit, the Lions have something promising brewing with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who posted 90 receptions for 912 yards and six total touchdowns in his rookie season. But he would be quite a 1-2 punch alongside Samuel — though quarterbacking concerns will remain as long as Jared Goff is under center.
For the Packers, they’ll be looking to cushion the blow of losing Davante Adams, who signed a massive deal with the Las Vegas Raiders last month. It left Aaron Rodgers once again in the lurch as the search for legitimate weapons around him continues.
Fowler added that a first-round pick is believed to be the “baseline” of what the 49ers would want in a sizable package for Samuel.
