For the second time in two years, Deebo Samuel appears to be on the trade market.
And for the second time in two years, expect the New England Patriots to be mentioned as a possible destination.
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The San Francisco 49ers are "expected to explore" trading Samuel this offseason, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning. Rapoport writes it's "not a certainty" that Samuel gets traded, but notes that both Samuel and the 49ers "appear to be at peace with moving on."
The 29-year-old wide receiver has a tantalizing skill set as a dual-threat offensive spark plug. In 2021, he racked up 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards (on 6.2 yards per carry) and 14 total touchdowns (six receiving, eight rushing) en route to First-Team All-Pro honors.
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Samuel hasn't made a Pro Bowl since, however, and tallied just 670 receiving yards and 136 rushing yards in 2024. From San Francisco's perspective, Samuel could be the odd man out in a receiver room that features Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
The Patriots have the opposite problem; DeMario Douglas was the team's top receiver in 2024 with just 621 yards, while the group of Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker contributed more dysfunction off the field than production on it.
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So, should Eliot Wolf give 49ers general manager John Lynch a call about Samuel? It's worth noting that the Patriots and Niners reportedly discussed a Samuel trade prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, and New England's need at the position is obvious. Samuel has one year and $17.5 million remaining on his current contract, which the Patriots certainly can afford with the most cap space in the NFL.
If the Patriots gave up draft capital to acquire Samuel, though, they'd likely want to give him a contract extension, so they'd need to determine whether they want to make a long-term financial commitment to a player coming off a disappointing season by his standards.
What seems most likely is that Wolf and Co. explore their options in free agency to see if they can land a No. 1 receiver like Tee Higgins, then re-assess their receiver room after that. If Higgins signs elsewhere or stays in Cincinnati, the Patriots absolutely should at least consider trading for a player like Samuel or Los Angeles Rams veteran Cooper Kupp.
The bottom line: The Patriots need all the help they can get at wide receiver and desperately need to surround Drake Maye with better weapons. That makes Samuel an option worth at least considering.
