Deebo Samuel wants out of San Francisco, which might be good news for the Patriots, right?
The Patriots still need a legitimate No. 1 receiver, even after trading for DeVante Parker, and Samuel has been a stud for the 49ers. It's easy to dream on the damage Samuel would do in New England's offense given his elite playmaking ability as both a pass-catcher and a runner.
Now, for a dose of reality...
While Bill Belichick absolutely should call 49ers general manager John Lynch to see what it would take to pry Samuel away from the Bay Area, it's hard to imagine the 26-year-old actually landing in Foxboro. The Patriots simply don't have the high-end draft capital to offer -- at least relative to their potential competition in the Samuel sweepstakes -- or the salary cap space to comfortably lock him up to a long-term contract while also addressing their other, glaring roster deficiencies. Therefore, they might be forced to the sideline if/when a bidding war breaks out.
Which is where the situation becomes really dicey for New England.
Think for a second about the possible destinations for Samuel, should the Niners fulfill his request. What's the most obvious fit?
The New York Jets.
Not only are the Jets equipped with the No. 4 and No. 10 overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. They also made a strong push to acquire fellow star wideout Tyreek Hill this offseason before the Kansas City Chiefs shipped him to the Miami Dolphins. It would seem New York is ready to negotiate.
Plus, there's already a natural connection in place. Jets head coach Robert Saleh previously served as the 49ers' defensive coordinator, and Mike LaFleur is entering his second season as New York's offensive coordinator after four seasons on San Francisco's coaching staff.
DraftKings Sportsbook on Wednesday had the 49ers as -205 favorites to retain Samuel for the 2022 NFL season. The next-shortest odds belonged to the Jets at +450 -- well ahead of the Patriots (+1600), among others.
A trade to any AFC team would be bad news for the Patriots, obviously, as it would further complicate their road to the playoffs. But a trade to an AFC East team, like the Jets, would be extremely troublesome, especially with New England's questionable cornerback talent/depth after losing J.C. Jackson in free agency and overall lack of defensive explosiveness.
The Buffalo Bills remain a problem. The Dolphins are positioned to improve after acquiring Hill and signing Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead. If the Jets nab Samuel, while the Patriots sit on their hands, it'll be difficult to consider this offseason anything but a disaster for New England.
The AFC already is loaded. The last thing Belichick and company need right now is for another viable threat to emerge, much less within their own division.
