Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant was hunted down by TMZ cameras this week and was asked his thoughts on Samuel, whose apparent unhappiness with the 49ers has left plenty of doubt over whether or not his time with the team is coming to an end. Given the performance Samuel had in 2021 (77 catches, 1,405 yards, six touchdowns; 59 carries, 365 yards, eight touchdowns) and the amount of money being thrown around at receivers across the league this offseason, Bryant certainly understands why Samuel would want to strike while the iron is hot and land a high-end contract, whether it's with the 49ers or someone else. But he also says Samuel might not find the type of offensive mind on another team that he would in San Francisco with head coach Kyle Shanahan.
"I would say this," Bryant said. "Deebo had a hell of a year and, you know, the receiver market right now is extremely high. So I understand where he's coming from. He wants to get his and he deserves his. But if we're strictly talking about football, I think the 49ers (are) a great place for him. "Kyle Shanahan, he is a genius. He knows how to get you the ball, and a lot of organizations don't know how to do that."
49ers fans will certainly be paying close attention in the hours leading up to tonight's opening of the NFL Draft to see if the team decides to trade Samuel before the end of the day. Samuel may or may not be hoping to land somewhere else, but 49ers general manager John Lynch said earlier this week he can't envision a situation where the team would want to move on from their star receiver. If Bryant was calling the shots, he would probably feel the same.
"No, I'm not trading Deebo," Bryant said. "Pay him what he wants. Go ahead and pay him, because he deserves it."
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