The 49ers reportedly don’t want to trade Deebo Samuel, but we have an idea of the teams that might be on the receiving end if their hand is forced.
Following up on a report from Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirmed that three teams — the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions — have show interest in trading for the All-Pro receiver. Ian Rapoport’s report from Wednesday also mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs, who recently offloaded Tyreek Hill.
Fowler said on ESPN that the 49ers would still much prefer to work something out with the disgruntled receiver:
“But there are several teams that will be in the mix here, and let’s be clear, the 49ers do not want to deal Deebo Samuel. They want to keep him, but it might be beyond repair at this point if Samuel is dug in, which it appears that he is. I’m told that the issue of usage of him playing running back and wide receiver is only part of the reason why he requested a trade.”
If the 49ers are going to trade Samuel — who told a reporter that he has requested to be dealt from San Francisco — one would assume it would happen before next weekend’s draft. It all depends on if Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch believe they can smooth things over with Samuel before the season starts.
The wide receiver is reportedly not just upset about contract extension negotiations, but also how he is being used in the 49ers’ offense. It’s unclear at this point if a substantial offer from the 49ers could make Samuel more comfortable with his wide back role.
Lynch is scheduled to speak to the Bay Area media on Monday.