All indications are that Deebo Samuel isn’t interested in working things out with the 49ers. The All-Pro receiver recently asked for a trade.
The 49ers, on the other hand, don’t seem interested in trading Samuel.
On Monday, General Manager John Lynch initially said he wasn’t “going to talk about that much” about Samuel because he didn’t think it was productive. He then talked about Samuel.
The team has been in contact with Samuel the past two weeks, Lynch said, and the 49ers are “confident we can find the solutions to work through whatever is going on.” They have had some receiver prospects visit the team facility, but they plan on keeping Samuel regardless what they do in the draft.
“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo,” Lynch said. “You put yourself through the exercises. Even though we don’t have a first-round pick, you have to be thorough in this process and prepare for everything, so you go through and do that. He’s just too good of a player.
“I think of 2019, that 36th pick, to come up with someone like Deebo, who has just been a game-changing player for our franchise. I told Deebo this: I think he’s the perfect illustration Herman Edwards used to talk about, when will meets skill, you’ve got the opportunity to be special. I think Deebo probably embodies that as much as anyone. He’s got tremendous will. He’s a very talented player. I think by virtual of the way he plays, it’s inspiring, so to me, that entails leadership. Do you make people around you better? He checks that box. He’s a great teammate. I think of things like prior to games, I get out there, and he’s always throwing the ball with the fans. I think he’s been a great member of our community. So, we’ve got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he’s brought, but you just don’t let guys like that walk. I can’t envision a scenario where we would.”
Samuel had 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns last season, and he added a passing touchdown. He is due a big (BIG!) raise over the $4.89 million he is scheduled to make in the final year of his rookie deal.