This offseason, trade scenarios regarding Brandon Aiyuk have been endless.
And now he’s getting joined in one by Deebo Samuel. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the San Francisco
49ers are prepared to deal either Samuel or Aiyuk in order to advance in tonight’s NFL draft first round.
This is noteworthy as earlier this week, according to reports, the 49ers informed Samuel that he would still be a
member of the team in 2024. Therefore, either the 49ers are breaking their word, or the report was thinly sourced.
In any case, the 49ers’ willingness to part ways with either of their two outstanding starting wide receivers makes
perfect sense. When it comes to moving, it is just the cost of doing business.
For the 49ers, it is a worthwhile endeavor. The best-case scenario would be for the 49ers to trade Samuel in order to
advance significantly in the first round. The player the 49ers would definitely like to keep is Aiyuk.
His style of play is designed to be long-lasting, in contrast to Samuel’s 2021 season, which was truly exceptional. It’s
probably unlikely that he will ever be that person again. All Samuel does during the season is have a run of games
when he appears exceptional. Not to add that he constantly poses a risk of injury.
Moreover, Aiyuk is a better fit for Brock Purdy than Samuel, so ideally the 49ers can convince a team to select
Samuel rather than Aiyuk. For the 49ers, all of this is a huge IF. Aiyuk will soon be eligible for a lucrative extension,
and Samuel doesn’t have a particularly attractive contract to take on.
In the end, I don’t think either receiver will be traded, but at least it has added intrigue to the NFL draft’s first day.
