It’s unclear whether the 49ers will trade receiver Deebo Samuel. It’s a little more clear as to where he could be traded.
Multiple reports that emerged on Friday indicated that the Jets, Packers, and Lions have shown interest in making the trade. Regardless of the source, the fact that the same trio of teams was leaked to both ESPN and NFL Network strongly suggests that it’s the same person spreading the info. Usually in such situations, it’s coming from the agent. If it comes from the team, it suggests that the team is at least thinking about making the move.
It’s surprising that the list isn’t longer, frankly. This is an All-Pro receiver, one of the best in the league. A dual-threat weapon who can create havoc with the ball in his hands.
It’s hard to imagine the 49ers trading him to the Packers, for the same reason it was hard to imagine the Packers trading Aaron Rodgers to the 49ers. While not in the same division, they’re rivals whose paths cross in the postseason from time to time -- including twice in the past three years.
The Lions make sense because Samuel’s mindset fits the attitude coach Dan Campbell is trying to create within the locker room. If Samuel would willingly choose Detroit (even without no-trade clauses, players seem to have more power in this regard than ever), it would be a huge coup for the Lions.
The Jets continue to make the most sense, given the multiple connections to the San Francisco coaching staff and the fact that the Jets were ready to trade for Tyreek Hill. They need weapons for quarterback Zach Wilson. Samuel would go a long way toward filling that need.
Other teams could make the move. Some teams (such as the Patriots) could be involved with the express understanding that their name not be mentioned as being involved.
Again, the 49ers should want to keep any potential trade under wraps until the first-round pick they’d be getting in 2022 is ready to be made. That eliminates any chance of getting leapfrogged for the guy they want, once other teams see that the 49ers are holding a given spot on the draft board.
We’ll know more in five days, when the draft gets going. It’s entirely possible that we’ll officially find out about a Samuel trade when the Commissioner walks to the podium, gets booed, and then announces that the 49ers are now on the clock.