On Monday morning, John Lynch made it clear the 49ers’ intent is to retain Deebo Samuel. But he also acknowledged the organization has thought about trade scenarios and listens to calls for everyone.
If the 49ers were to accept an offer for Samuel, it would not be a meager one.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote in his Monday column that he thinks it’s more likely Samuel remains in San Francisco and relayed what he said he heard from another general manager.
“I’d say it’s unlikely that Samuel will get moved between now and Thursday,” Breer wrote. “I could be wrong, and the reason I’d emphasize that up front is I’m not sure how far someone else is willing to go to get him. I just feel like, at this point, with how carefully the Niners are managing the situation, it’d take a lot for them to move off their spot.
“How much would it take? One rival GM said to me Sunday that he believes you’d probably have to go to John Lynch with two first-round picks, which would replace the 2022 and ’23 first-rounders the Niners dealt away last year to move up for Trey Lance, to wriggle Samuel free of San Francisco. And that is a lot, even in comparison to the other big receiver trades of the early parts of this year.”
That’s the ole Jamal Adams price, which, if you’re just comparing Samuel to Adams, looks a lot more reasonable.
Samuel’s trade request has confused quite a few folks, as he’s reportedly told the 49ers not to offer him a new deal without much clarification as to why he wants out. With time ticking before the NFL Draft begins on Thursday, it’s a tricky situation to sort out.