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Deebo Samuel has officially asked the San Francisco 49ers for a barter, so where does the star receiver land ahead of the 2022 season?
As if this NFL offseason couldn’t get any crazier, Deebo Samuel has entered the chat.
More specifically, Samuel and his desire to play for a team other than the San Francisco 49ers have added another touch to an offseason pot that has been boiled over and a little more. Matt Ryan, Deshaun Watson Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Russell Wilson were all traded, Baker Mayfield is in a fight with the Browns and will probably play somewhere else, and oh yes, Tom Brady decided to postpone retirement and return to the Buccaneers, who immediately changed head coach.
It’s just skimming the surface of the bizarre offseason we’ve had in the NFL, and it’s nowhere near ending. With the NFL Draft just a few days away, Samuel has let it be known that he does not want to return to the Niners, which means we are probably waiting for another massive trade to add to the already insane pile.
It probably won’t be a quick trade, but the Niners have the ticking clock in the NFL Draft next Thursday to motivate them to take a step toward maximum potential returns. Which team will be the one making the Niners an offer they can not refuse, and which of these teams needs Samuel the most?
New York Jets
New York was already in the market for a receiver, especially by reaching the finish line with a Tyreek Hill trade before he was eventually given to the Dolphins. There is a wealth of need for the Jets moving forward, but adding Deebo feels like a pretty decent consolation prize for missing out on the Hill deal.
Samuel offers many of the same qualities that Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur hoped to add with Hill as he theoretically helps Zach Wilson become more creative and comfortable as he grows into his second season. Whether it’s playing out of the backfield or being used as a hybrid similar to the one Mike McDaniel made in San Francisco,
There’s also the fact that Samuel will no doubt be the Jets’ best player if he were to land in New York. Take it for what it’s worth, as far as how steep the uphill battle for everyone in East Rutherford is.
Green Bay Packers
If you’re a remarkable receiver in the NFL, chances are you’ve somehow been linked with the Green Bay Packers. A common theme – whether it’s a crutch or valid – when it comes to Aaron Rodgers is how much the Packers help him by surrounding him with legitimate offensive weapons.
Even before this offseason, when the Packers threw the best receiver Rodgers has ever thrown at himself, the narrative was that Green Bay did not give Rodgers the type of help that other superstar quarterbacks get. Tom Brady was in a similar make something out of nothing the situation in New England, but even the Patriots ran to get him Randy Moss. The Bucs, who go out of their way to surround Brady with talent, or the Rams do the same for Matthew Stafford – and the fact that both efforts resulted in Super Bowl wins – have done those trying to eliminate the dysfunction no favors.
Samuel is a saving grace for the Packers. The addition of him not only replaces Adams as a top target for Rodgers, but gives the Packers a dynamic weapon they have not really had before. Think what they tried with Ty Montgomery, but actually good. Think also of the Packers’ main competition in NFC; The Buccaneers defense fought mightily against short-range passes, and the Rams generally fought to stop Deebo. He’s not a kryptonite piece that guarantees victory over both teams, but he caused trouble with Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance below center, imagine what Aaron Rodgers could do with him.
Kansas City Chiefs
One of the biggest questions in this wild NFL offseason has been whether the Chiefs flashed long enough for the rest of the AFC to catch up with them. After looking like a dynasty under construction, Kansas City failed to win a Super Bowl in two-back years and spent this offseason getting rid of important parts of its roster. Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu are gone and the once unstoppable Chiefs attack looks more deadly than we ever thought.
However, this is a team that needed less than 13 seconds and less than 50 yards to completely crush the Buffalo Bills in last year’s playoffs. Kansas City can be felt, but they are still a flick of Patrick Mahomes’ wrist from blowing someone up in the air.
Trading with Deebo Samuel is very much at the bottom. While everyone seems down on the Chiefs, especially after strong free seasons with the Broncos, Chargers and Bills, Samuel adds that he would instantly change the tune that was sung about how their 2022 season could go. He’s not a 1-on-1 replacement for Hill, but he offers the same deep threat opportunity while adding a backfield hybrid dynamic that makes Andy Reid drool more than some good Kansas City BBQ does.
Kansas City is in a difficult situation in terms of finding financial space in the books to add talent, which is why Hill and Mathieu should be released, but with a quick trade, the Chiefs could see the arms race underway in the AFC – one designed for to capture Chiefs – and raise everyone.
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