Last season, per Sports Info Solutions, the Pittsburgh Steelers involved their receivers in running plays on 26 plays for 186 yards and a touchdown. The Kansas City Chiefs ran their receivers 24 times for 194 yards and a touchdown. The Jacksonville Jaguars ran their receivers on 21 attempts for 173 yards and a touchdown. The New Orleans Saints ran their receivers 21 times for 86 yards. And the Arizona Cardinals ran their receivers 20 times for 111 yards.
There are NFL teams that like to use their receivers in the run game, and then, there is the San Francisco 49ers, who ran their receivers 90 times for 581 yards and nine touchdowns. Of course, Deebo Samuel was the primary instigator in that schematic construct — he had 86 of those runs for 502 yards and all nine rushing touchdowns.
Ever since the 49ers selected Samuel in the second round of the 2019 draft out of South Carolina, he’s been a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive concepts, and while the running aspect of it is a huge deal, there are other ways in which Samuel has made that passing game go. Even with an average quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and a developmental first-round prospect in second-year man Trey Lance, Samuel has been… well, quarterback-proof, and it makes him one of the NFL’s premier receivers and weapons.
Now, it appears that Shanahan’s primary weapon, outside of tight George Kittle, wants out of Dodge.
Breaking News: I just spoke to wide receiver Deebo Samuel — and he told me that he has asked the 49ers to trade him.
He did not want to discuss specific reasons behind his request, but he has indeed let the 49ers know his desire to leave the organization. More to come.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) April 20, 2022
Perhaps late-season usage was an issue.
~2021 Deebo Samuel~
Weeks 1-8: NFL-best 113.0 scrimmage yards/G (8 games, 6 carries, 80 targets)
*change in role*
Week 9 on: 105.2 scrimmage yards/G (11 games, 80 carries, 53 targets)
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 20, 2022
With the trades of Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins and Davante Adams to the Raiders, it’s already been Moving Day multiple times for some of the league’s best receivers. Word is that the 49ers have wanted to extend Samuel’s contract, but there are other issues that have him wanting a new home.
As this news comes less than two weeks before the 2022 NFL draft, it makes the possibility of a haul of picks back to the 49ers a distinct possibility. San Francisco doesn’t have a pick in the draft until the 61st selection in the second round — their 29th pick now belongs to the Chiefs, who got it from the Dolphins in the Tyreek Hill deal, and it originally went to Miami so that San Francisco could trade up for Lance last year. If the 49ers are to deal Samuel, it’s a better time to do it with a stacked receiver class, but it’s also entirely arguable that there’s no receiver in this class who can replicate Samuel’s unique brilliance.
Now, there are two questions to answer if the 49ers-Samuel relationship is part the point of repair, for whatever reasons: Which teams should be most interested in Samuel, and how could Shanahan and his staff look to replace him for the 2022 season and beyond?
Let’s start with what makes Samuel special.
