Deebo simply doesn’t fit with the upcoming 49ers era.
Even as they took trade calls on him during last year’s draft, it would have been difficult to imagine the San Francisco 49ers being willing to part with Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick.
But things can change in a hurry in the NFL, and that is exactly the deal the Niners agreed to on Saturday as they obliged Samuel’s trade request and dealt him to the Washington Commanders.
The 49ers were reportedly seeking a fourth-round pick in exchange for Samuel’s services, a return they likely would have received and then some 12 months ago when the 2019 second-round selection was coming off a 12-touchdown campaign.
That the Niners were willing to accept even less than that and eat $31.55 million in dead money is reflective of several things. First and foremost, their willingness to do right by Samuel following his trade request. On top of that, however, it reflects an understanding that Samuel is not the player he once was and a change in team-building philosophy from San Francisco.
For several years, as the 49ers have pushed to get over the top in their quest to finally win a sixth Super Bowl title, they have handed out huge deals to veterans featuring significant up-front signing bonuses prorated across the life of the contract.
The result of the Niners’ efforts to keep the core of their roster together is that they finished the 2024 season as the oldest team in the NFL, with a snap-weighted age of 28.6. In addition, they are sixth in the NFL in active cash spending, per Over The Cap.
A desire to address those issues undoubtedly went into the 49ers’ decision to trade Samuel.
Speaking this week, when asked about reports that the 49ers had taken calls on Samuel’s fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk, general manager John Lynch expressed a desire for a more prudent approach that focused on young players.
“That typically happens with really good players. I remember, I think two years ago, having similar conversations. You get calls, and you always listen to calls. I think since Kyle and I have been here, we’ve been certainly a top five, I believe, number two, cash spending team in the four years,” Lynch said.
“Going into the fourth year, I think we’re the fourth highest cash spending team, so at some point,t you have to reset a little bit or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal, and I think there’s some good that could come out.
“We need to get younger, I think we’re the oldest team in football trying to make a run at the deal last year. And I think it’s good to constantly get younger. Our draft class last year was a great move towards that. We’ll have four picks in the top 100. If the comp picks happen, like we see it, that’s always a calculation. We will have 10 picks overall and we’re excited about adding more youth to a great core of players that we already have.”
With the Samuel trade netting them pick 148 in the fifth round, the 49ers are now projected to have 11 selections, including eight in the top 150.
While dealing Aiyuk would net them even more capital and remove an expensive injured player from their roster, it is not a move that makes sense given the evolution of their offense, which is likely to be another key reason why the 49ers were willing to acquiesce to Samuel’s demand for a trade.
There is obviously still a place for a Deebo-esque player in the 49ers attack, but the days when he was the focal point are long gone.
Last season, San Francisco ranked eighth in the number of dropbacks (196) featuring a five or seven-step drop, while the 49ers were 16th in total play-action dropbacks, per Sports Info Solutions.
Additionally, Brock Purdy ranked seventh in intended air yards per attempt (8.7), per NextGen Stats.
In other words, theirs is now an offense with the emphasis on underneath easy buttons reduced and more faith placed in Purdy to push the ball downfield and make the right decisions while doing so. When healthy, the presence of Christian McCaffrey as one of the league’s premier check-down options decreases the need to design things underneath for a player in Samuel, whose upside as yards-after-catch threat clearly declined in 2024.
San Francisco should still be seeking out easy answers in its offense, and there is pressure on head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2025 to improve his dropback concepts and make life simpler for Purdy.
But in that kind of attack, those answers come from having a separator like Aiyuk or physically dominant weapons like All-Pro tight end George Kittle and Jauan Jennings. Last year, the 49ers invested in two receivers known for their route-running prowess in Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, both of whom can win underneath. This year, it is telling that, during their week at the Combine, the 49ers met formally with a pair of tight ends in Harold Fannin and Jake Briningstool, along with a 6ft 3in, 217-pound wideout in Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins.
As recently as 2023, Samuel could be considered the heartbeat of the 49er offense. He made it easier on them by requesting a trade, but with how their offense has changed and how the team-building approach is changing, the 49ers likely would have given significant consideration to dealing Samuel even without his demand. The 49ers are transitioning to a new era, and it’s one in which Samuel does not fit.