Stars are beginning to align regarding a Pittsburgh Steelers' trade for 49ers WR Deebo Samuel
After weeks of speculation that catalyzed over draft weekend, the trade talks surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be just a tease. But with June 1st now behind us and teams around the league having a definitive look at their cap situation, this is the time of year when those talks ramp up again. And […]
After weeks of speculation that catalyzed over draft weekend, the trade talks surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be just a tease.
But with June 1st now behind us and teams around the league having a definitive look at their cap situation, this is the time of year when those talks ramp up again.
And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one name is starting to stick out above the rest:
Deebo Samuel to Pittsburgh?
They [Steelers] will have a number two receiver on their roster come September, who is not on their roster now," Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette said during a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. "I think [Brandon] Aiyuk or [Deebo] Samuel. Given what the 49ers have done, drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round, signing [Jauan] Jennings. I think there’s another shoe to drop out there in San Francisco. They have too many good receivers, and they’re not gonna be able to pay all of them,”
Fittipalo's comments align with a recent report from former NFL GM Michael Lombardi, who said the Steelers came very close to acquiring one of the 49ers WRs during the draft:
“There was talk that at the draft that Pittsburgh thought they had made a trade,” Lombardi said on the GM Shuffle Podcast. “Whether it was for Deebo or whether it was for Aiyuk, I don’t know. But then things kind of fell apart late.”
During his appearance on ESPN's Get UP on Monday morning, NFL insider Dan Graziano played into the conversation as well, citing the cap relief that the 49ers received following the post-June 1st release designation for Arik Armstead, and a Deebo Samuel trade as a means of which San Francisco can allocate money for an Aiyuk extension.
It's clear that the 49ers would like to keep Aiyuk. Sure anyone is available for the right offer, but Aiyuk aligns better with what the offense wants to do, is a little younger than Deebo, and has shown everyone the ability to be a WR #1.
And for Pittsburgh, trading for Deebo would be a much more cost-efficient strategy. He is going to cost less draft capital, and unlike Aiyuk, he already has his second contract, one that Pittsburgh and Khan would likely ask San Francisco to pay some of.
So as the days grow closer to the start of the season, the anticipation will as well.
