New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas has been spending all offseason attempting to find young quarterback Zach Wilson more weapons.
Could that now include New York pulling off a blockbuster Deebo Samuel trade? According to NFL insider Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the Jets are all in on acquirng Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. How much so? They are willing to offer up the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft later this week.
This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The New York Jets were a runner-up to the division-rival Miami Dolphins in the sweepstakes for star wide receiver Tyreek Hill in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Related: 7-round New York Jets mock draft
Why a Deebo Samuel trade makes sense for the New York Jets
All 32 NFL teams could use a weapon like Samuel. That much is known. As for the Jets, that’s magnified even further.
The No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Zach Wilson had an up-and-down rookie season — throwing nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
As much as he was inconsistent, the Jets didn’t have that go-to guy for him to toss the rock to. Veteran Jamison Crowder led the team with 51 receptions. He’s now a member of the Buffalo Bills. After that, it was Braxton Berrios and rookie Elijah Moore who were Wilson’s top targets.
Big-time free-agent signing Corey Davis failed to produce much in an injury-plagued first season in Jersey — tallying just 34 catches in nine games.
Thus far this offseason, the Jets have not added a single wide receiver to the mix to help Wilson moving forward. Flush with two top-10 picks, using one of them on a Deebo Samuel trade makes sense.
Related: New York Jets trade scenarios for the 2022 NFL Draft
What will a Deebo Samuel trade cost the New York Jets?
Douglas and Co. will likely push back against trading the aforementioned Elijah Moore in a trade for Samuel. With that said, it stands to reason that 49ers general manager John Lynch will demand both him and other draft capital in addition to the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Deebo Samuel stats (2021): 77 receptions, 1,405 yards, 365 rushing yards, 14 TD
Davante Adams landed the Green Bay Packers a first and second-round pick in the draft from the Las Vegas Raiders. His situation is a tad different in that Green Bay had placed the franchise tag on Adams. It led the team receiving less for him that it would have if he were under contract for at least another season like Samuel with the 49ers.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs acquired five picks from Miami for the aforementioned Hill. That included first and second-round selections in this year’s NFL Draft.
Related: Ideal Deebo Samuel trade scenarios
The Jets will likely be required to give up the 10th pick, Moore and a future early-round selection if they want to pry Samuel from San Francisco. In turn, they would then have to sign him to a long-term contract valued at $25-plus million annually.
Is that something New York might be willing to do? We’ll find out soon enough. What we do know is that Samuel would add another element to the Jets’ offense that has been missing for the past several seasons. They also have the fourth pick in the draft to find an upgrade elsewhere. Look for this team to be active on the trade block, including the potential of pulling off a Deebo Samuel trade.