Why the 49ers Should not Trade Deebo Samuel

Reports are back and forth on the likelihood of the 49ers trading Deebo Samuel. While there is some logic in trading him, it is not something the 49ers should pull the trigger on.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) reacts / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Reports have been back and forth today on the likelihood of the San Francisco 49ers trading receiver Deebo Samuel.

It started in the morning when a report emerged that Samuel is "likely" to be traded on Day 2 of the NFL draft. Well, now there is another report suggesting it is "highly unlikely" that Samuel is traded at any point in the draft.

The reports are moot to me because no matter which way the 49ers are leaning, they should not trade Samuel. Trading him doesn't help them in the immediate at all, which is to return to the Super Bowl and finally win it.

By letting Samuel go, the 49ers are saying that they can run the offense with rookie Ricky Pearsall as their starting receiver opposite of Brandon Aiyuk. It would be a delusional thought by the 49ers to believe their offense won't skip a beat going from Samuel to Pearsall.

I understand the logic of wanting to take the dead cap hit from Samuel now to alleviate space for next season. And it does make sense to load up on some Day 2 picks as a result of trading Samuel since the 49ers really needed to restock and reload on young players.

But I don't think any of that will play to their favor, especially in 2024. They will essentially cause a self-inflicted wound on themselves, which would be poetic since that is how they lost most of their games last season anyways. What Samuel does for the offense is endless and it goes beyond his production.

Can Pearsall have the same effect in year one? Absolutely not. The same plays for Samuel that go to Pearsall will not be as effective and Samuel is a great pre-snap decoy with the motions and formations that Kyle Shanahan loves to run out of.

Keep Samuel. It is easier to move off of him after 2024 and it doesn't force Pearsall to be one of the top guys that the 49ers need to funnel the offense through.