NFL Insider names Chiefs as 'team to consider' in potential Deebo Samuel trade
The Deebo Samuel-49ers one-sided standoff hit a head on Wednesday when ESPN's Jeff Darlington broke the news that Samuel himself asked the 49ers to trade him. How much it takes to acquire Samuel is unknown, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport seems pretty sure that the 49ers will net at least a first-round pick if they […]
The Deebo Samuel-49ers one-sided standoff hit a head on Wednesday when ESPN's Jeff Darlington broke the news that Samuel himself asked the 49ers to trade him.
How much it takes to acquire Samuel is unknown, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport seems pretty sure that the 49ers will net at least a first-round pick if they were to find a trade partner. Rapoport also added three more layers to the sage: Samuel doesn't like how the 49ers/Kyle Shanahan uses him in the offense, he simply doesn't want to be in San Fran, and the Chiefs are one of the top teams to watch when it comes to acquiring Deebo Samuel via trade.
We've already discussed why a Deebo Samuel-Chiefs trade makes sense and that there are still a lot more factors that would likely kill the hypothetical deal, but just for fun, what would it cost the Chiefs if they were to trade for Samuel?
Rapoport's first-round assessment is correct
As Rapoport states, the 49ers are trying to keep their star wideout. Deebo Samuel just simply doesn't want to be there and that's why he asked for a trade. The 9ers are also under zero obligation to trade him and Samuel hasn't made a ton of money over his short three-year career. Therefore, the 49ers aren't going to trade Samuel unless they receive an offer they really like.
That likely means a first-rounder and more. To put it into context: The Chiefs garnered five draft picks through the Hill trade, highlighted by a first- and second-rounder in 2022.
Would the Chiefs be willing to flip one of their first-rounders for Samuel? The problem is both first-rounders represent the 29th and 30th overall pick. So, while Samuel is not as proven as Hill and has a longer injury history, he will probably cost the Chiefs more than just a first-rounder.
It makes a lot of sense to for the Chiefs to throw in one of their fourth-rounders or maybe even their second third-round pick. They would still have a pick in either round and it would give the 9ers either three picks in the third round or two picks in the fourth, which is a good spot to be in.
But, as we know, Samuel won't cost the Chiefs just draft picks. They're going to have to give him a new deal as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. The Chiefs can structure the deal to where the cap hits really don't start affecting the team until a few years down the road, but the point still stands: If they couldn't pay Hill what he wanted, how (and why) would they pay Samuel as the highest non-QB in the NFL, per his desire?
Featured image via Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
