Despite a Deebo Samuel trade being possible, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch can’t imagine the team actually going through with moving the uber-talented wide receiver.
In just a matter of weeks, Samuel went from being a player on the 49ers’ offense with superstar potential and a year away from free agency to a disgruntled athlete unhappy with his current situation and wanting out of San Francisco.
While rumblings of his happiness had reverberated from social media earlier this month, it wasn’t until he reportedly told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington last week that he officially requested a trade that things became real. On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers GM took part in a 30-minute media scrum in the lead-up to Thursday’s NFL Draft and was asked about the situation with the All-Pro wideout. And while he admitted the team did get a bunch of calls about a possible swap, Lynch said he can’t envision the team actually pulling the trigger to move Deebo Samuel.
San Francisco 49ers GM acknowledges Deebo Samuel trade request
“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo. You put yourself through the exercises of, even though we don’t have a first-round pick, you have to be thorough in this process and prepare for everything,” Lynch said [h/t ESPN]. “So, you go through it and do that. He’s just too good of a player … We’ve got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he’s brought, but you just don’t let guys like that walk. So, I can’t envision a scenario where we would [trade him].”
Even though the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers great can’t imagine a deal happening, it certainly does not mean such a thing won’t come to pass. Especially if Samuel is a training camp holdout. However, despite acknowledging the reports that Samuel requested to be traded, Lynch still can’t picture moving the player he took with the team’s second-round pick in the 2019 draft.
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“We’ve been consistent since we’ve been here that we’d listen on just about anyone,” Lynch said. “That’s something we’ll always do. But I can’t ever imagine moving on from Deebo. He’s been such a great player for us. He means so much to this franchise.”
Deebo Samuel is set to make just under $5 million in the final year of his rookie contract. In previous comments on social media, he has suggested he could be looking for a deal that would pay him upwards of $25 million annually.