"One rival GM said to me Sunday that he believes you'd probably have to go to John Lynch with two first-round picks," wrote TheMMQB's Albert Breer on Monday, "which would replace the 2022 and '23 first-rounders the Niners dealt away last year to move up for Trey Lance, to wriggle Samuel free of San Francisco. And that is a lot, even in comparison to the other big receiver trades of the early parts of this year."
That might be enough to get Lynch and the 49ers to consider parting ways with their disgruntled receiver.
While San Francisco wants to sign Samuel to a contract extension, the receiver has reportedly halted talks with the team. Although, details have been scarce, leaving many to speculate on the reasoning behind the discord. Some wondered if it was his role as both a receiver and running back last season. Others questioned whether he even wanted to be in California for such a significant portion of the year.
Samuel recently tweeted (and then deleted) that only he, his agent, and the 49ers know the truth behind the drama.
Samuel amassed 1,770 all-purpose yards, 14 total touchdowns, and even threw a touchdown pass with the 49ers last season. He is preparing to enter his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract.
"I love Samuel as a player," wrote Breer, "but the fact remains that you need a plan, and creativity, to get the most out of him—and if he doesn't want to do all that he did last year, at least in the minds of some teams I talked to over the weekend, he necessarily loses some value. ..."
"Samuel's really dug in and hasn't let his agent negotiate much (if at all) with the Niners. The Niners have shown no inclination to move him for the sort of prices Hill and Adams fetched. And it's clear a lot of fence-mending would be needed to get the train back on the tracks."
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