There has been some discussion this offseason regarding Deebo Samuel versus Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel received a significant pay raise last offseason, and Aiyuk is due one after the upcoming season. Can the San Francisco 49ers afford to retain both wide receivers? If they had to pick just one, who would it be?
Samuel enjoyed a breakout 2021 campaign, amassing 1,770 total yards and 14 total touchdowns. After some offseason distractions, including a trade request, San Francisco locked him to a massive contract extension.
Samuel followed up his breakout season with a less-impressive 2022 campaign, resulting in just 864 total yards and five touchdowns. What did the receiver think of his performance last season?
"Oh, it was awful," Samuel said last week. "Every aspect."
He continued, "I was kind of behind a ball a little bit as far as being in my routine that I'll normally be in for the offseason, getting ready to play because, like I said, a lot of distractions were going on. I kind of felt it, but I was just trying to will my way to help the team in every aspect possible."
Samuel admitted that he and head coach Kyle Shanahan sat down and watched film from last season. Samuel's efforts were disappointing, with the receiver noting that he looked "sluggish."
"I'll never put nothing like that back on tape again," added Samuel.
Despite last season's performance, Pro Football Focus still holds Samuel in high regard. While ranking wide receivers by route type, the analytics site lists Samuel as the best on wide screens.
"Deebo Samuel is a mismatch weapon, and San Francisco has found a way to utilize that in the screen game," wrote Lauren Gray. "Samuel has racked up 356 receiving yards from screen passes over the past two seasons and finished fourth in screen targets a season ago.
"While he didn't find the end zone on a screen pass last year, he did finish top-five in yards after the catch (188, third among receivers) and yards after contact (88, second) on screens. He led his peers in missed tackles (9) forced and yards after the catch per reception on screen passes in 2022."
Meanwhile, Aiyuk is looking to establish himself as one of football's best wideouts following a 78-catch, 1,015-receiving-yard, and eight-touchdown 2022 campaign—all career highs.
"I'm about to take off," Aiyuk declared two weeks ago. "That's it. ... We all know it's football. Nothing's ever guaranteed, but just getting a better understanding for my life as a person, and then as a football player, kind of putting those things together and then just looking to get better.
"I feel like, now, having another offseason [to build upon], coming out here again for another OTA spring ball, whatever you want to call it, being able to work with those guys, being able to work on my craft, being able to get better and just continue to look to get better. That's really it."
