Patriots Reportedly Haven’t Called About Deebo Samuel — Should They?
'They said, 'A) We're not trading him, and B) They haven't called' '
Rumors about a possible New England Patriots trade for Deebo Samuel swiftly were shot down Thursday night.
Speaking on NBC Sports Boston, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Patriots had not contacted the 49ers to inquire about their multitalented wide receiver — and that San Francisco had no plans to move him.
“I checked in with somebody who would absolutely know on this and they said, ‘A) We’re not trading him, and B) They haven’t called,’ ” Breer said. “So wherever this is, it hasn’t gotten to the Niners’ desks. This isn’t something that’s been on the table for them at all. … Could this evolve that way? Sure. But there’s no meat on the bone there as of right now.”
Samuel is coming off an unimpressive 2022 season in which he missed four games with injuries and finished with a modest 864 yards from scrimmage (632 receiving, 232 rushing) and five total touchdowns. He was one of the NFL’s most dangerous playmakers in 2021, however, racking up 1,770 total yards and 15 touchdowns as a multi-positional “wide back” in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
That year, Samuel led the league in yards per catch (18.2) and also averaged 6.2 yards per carry, often on traditional handoffs out of the backfield, en route to a first-team All-Pro selection.
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Acquiring Samuel would give the Patriots a versatile, highly skilled weapon for quarterback Mac Jones while also righting the wrongs from the 2019 NFL Draft, when they infamously took N’Keal Harry over wideouts like Samuel, A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, Diontae Johnson and Hunter Renfrow. Lackluster 2022 production aside, he’d be the No. 1 receiver they’ve lacked in recent years and would be a perfect fit for new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
But it’s no surprise that San Francisco isn’t eager to move the 27-year-old. Outside of the on-field loss his departure would inflict, trading Samuel also would make little financial sense for the Niners.
Per the terms of the three-year, $71.5 million extension he signed last offseason, dealing him before June 1 would actually cause the 49ers to lose nearly $20 million in salary cap space. Doing so also would inflict a dead money charge of $28.4 million for the upcoming season. If they wait until after June 1, they’d receive a paltry $2 million in cap relief while taking on $6.7 million in dead money this season and $21.8 million in 2024. And Samuel’s total cap hit this season is just $8.7 million — highly reasonable for a player of his caliber.
A cap crunch could be coming for San Francisco with standout players like Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk now up for contract extensions, and eventually moving Samuel could help alleviate that. Breer compared that to when the 49ers decided they couldn’t afford defensive linemen DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, so they shipped Buckner to Indianapolis for a first-round pick.
But the Niners would be much better off waiting until next year, when a Samuel trade could free up close to $22 million in cap space. The Patriots likely will need to look elsewhere for receiver help.
