FRISCO – We know that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is seeking a trade to a new team, and that the club has given him and his agent permission to explore that.
But there is now buzz that other NFL teams might not be willing to sacrifice much in such a trade … and that in the end, the 49ers might have to cut him.
And if that is the reality? The Dallas Cowboys should be exploring this idea themselves.
“It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle (49ers coach Shanahan) because of the relationship that we have,” Samuel said in announcing the agreed-to plan in San Francisco. “But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”
But what if that other team doesn’t have to pay the trade freight to get him?
Said Barrows: “So, I think that releasing him and allowing him to kind of choose his next home is probably the way this is going to go.”
Samuel is just 29 years old but the statistical decline in his production over the last two seasons is a real thing. Last year he totaled just 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 … a far cry from his most stellar days, which over the years have included tormenting Dallas as both a receiver and a ball-carrier.
The 49ers’ top financial concern is extending quarterback Brock Purdy. And the Cowboys have their own top financial concerns, too, mostly centered on the extension due Micah Parsons.
But Parsons has offered to take less as he is essentially “demanding” that Cowboys owners Jerry and Stephen Jones be more aggressive in their roster building.
Samuel could offer a way for Dallas to do that … affordably.
Samuel presently carries a $17.5 million price tag for 2025, which can be the final year of his deal. In a world where star wideouts are now being paid $30 million annually, that number can work in Dallas, where $100 million in cap room can be made available.
The Niners would likely prefer to make their move in a post-June 1 cut, so they can spread out his $31.6 million dead money hit across two seasons. So there might have to be some patience here.
Can Deebo recapture what he was when he made All-Pro in 2021? Can being paired with CeeDee Lamb as a prime Dak Prescott weapon help him do so?
There are projections out there that have the Niners using Samuel as sweetener in a first-round trade on NFL Draft Day.
That’s possible … but it would be a financially costly way to go for San Francisco.
San Francisco wants to move Samuel, but they won’t want to eat that $31.6 million all in one season.
That is the dollars-and-sense issue that may lead not to a trade of Samuel, but rather to the Niners dumping him. … and in preparation for that, Dallas should be examining the viability of Deebo Samuel at $17.5 million in 2025.
