The first Commanders-Deebo Samuel trade report is here and it's hard to believe for obvious reasons
It was a matter of "when" and not "if" the Washington Commanders would get linked to the Deebo Samuel trade request situation.Per FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz, the Commanders are one of four teams interested in trading for Samuel and of the four teams, it's the Commanders and the Houston Texans that have "significant interest". Per […]
It was a matter of "when" and not "if" the Washington Commanders would get linked to the Deebo Samuel trade request situation.
Per FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz, the Commanders are one of four teams interested in trading for Samuel and of the four teams, it's the Commanders and the Houston Texans that have "significant interest". Per Schultz, talks have progressed over the last few days, as well.
It bears repeating that the Commanders need to avoid trading for Samuel
The timing of the report itself is peculiar. The NFL Combine is currently going on and everyone knows it's one of the perfect times for the rumor mill to get going. This is not placing any doubt on Schultz's report, at all, just to be clear.
Regardless, why would the Commanders trade for Samuel? The 49ers are in a spot where they lose nearly $16 million if they trade or release Samuel before June 1. They also have to pay him a $15.4 million-plus roster bonus on March 22, which is the biggest factor when it comes to simply waiting things out. But, if the 49ers release Samuel as a designated post-June 1 cut they'll create more than $5.1 million in cap space.
There's also the fact Samuel is entering the final year of his deal. So, either the Commanders will send over capital and then have to extend him or they'll just have a one-year rental. Extending him before the 2025 season is a risk in itself, due to the fact he's missed eight games over the last three years and he's been nowhere near as productive as he was in 2021. He's yet to reach even 900 receiving yards in a single season since recording 1,405 that year and he has just nine combined rushing touchdowns from 2022-2024 after logging eight in 2021, alone.
In all, this kind of move just doesn't make sense for a GM like Adam Peters to make. He's a shrewd, calculated guy and he's fully aware of Samuel's current contract structure and what it means in the big picture. It'd honestly be a surprise if he traded for Samuel and honestly, it wouldn't be a smart move. Waiting it out means he doesn't have to give anything up and he gets to work out his own contract structure with Samuel.
This isn't to say Samuel won't fit in Washington's offense or anything like that. He'd provide an excellent skillset that Kliff Kingsbury could maximize. It's simply a fact of waiting the 49ers out and then going after him, instead of forcing the issue.
