Deebo Samuel to the Patriots? Two of New England’s newest arrivals would love to see that happen.
After news of Samuel’s trade request broke Wednesday, Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson and wide receiver DeVante Parker both fantasized about a potential team-up on social media.
“Nothing wrong with both (of) us being on the Patriots this season,” Wilson wrote on Twitter, tagging the multitalented San Francisco 49ers wideout.
“Not at all,” Parker added, tacking on two eyeball emojis.
Offensive tackle Trent Brown also did his part to recruit Samuel to the Patriots, telling the receiver to “pull up to Foxboro” and jokingly downplaying the New England winters.
Samuel, who excelled as both a receiver and a running back for the Niners in 2021, would provide a major boost to New England’s Mac Jones-led offense, but acquiring him wouldn’t be cheap. The Patriots would need to fork over a sizable package of draft picks — a first-rounder and more, most likely — and then sign Samuel to a big-money extension, as he’s about to enter the final year of his rookie contract.
Whether Bill Belichick would be willing to pay that high price is unclear, but the Patriots did show interest in Samuel ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft before ultimately (and regrettably) selecting N’Keal Harry at No. 32 overall. Since then, the 26-year-old Samuel has emerged as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons, catching 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns last season while also rushing 59 times for 365 yards and eight scores. His 18.2 yards-per-reception average led the NFL.
Parker has been the Patriots’ marquee offseason addition to date, coming over in a trade from the Miami Dolphins earlier this month. He projects as New England’s No. 1 wideout if he can avoid the injury issues that have hindered him throughout his career. Wilson also joined the Patriots via trade, with New England sending outside linebacker Chase Winovich to the Cleveland Browns in return.
