Deebo Samuel apparently wants to play for a new team, but that would require an interested organization to go the extra mile.
Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so any potential suitor would need to be willing to give the versatile playmaker a lucrative, long-term deal. But that would be Step 2, as a franchise first must do what it takes to acquire Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers.
There seemingly is precedence for a blockbuster trade involving a wide receiver, as both Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams were dealt this offseason. One anonymous NFL general manager, however, believes Samuel would be more expensive than both of those Pro Bowlers.
"How much would it take? One rival GM said to me Sunday that he believes you'd probably have to go to John Lynch with two first-round picks, which would replace the 2022 and '23 first-rounders the Niners dealt away last year to move up for Trey Lance, to wriggle Samuel free of San Francisco," Albert Breer wrote in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column for Sports Illustrated. "And that is a lot, even in comparison to the other big receiver trades of the early parts of this year."
Considering Samuel turned 26 back in January, teams might be willing to pay the Niners that lofty price. And there's an off chance we'll find out sooner rather than later, as San Francisco might look to stock up on picks before the start of Thursday's draft.
