Not all hope is lost for the 49ers and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Despite a rift between the two sides that led Samuel to skip the start of the team’s organized team activities, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Monday told the Pat McAfee show that the chasm between San Francisco and Samuel is fixable.
“I think they can get it settled,” Rapoport said to a loud reaction from McAfee. “I don’t believe it is settled right now. There’s a lot of work that has to be done. When a player asks for a trade, basically says he does not want to be there, and it has nothing to do with the contract – because remember he basically told them, ‘Don’t offer me a contract. I’m not going to take it. I want to be traded.’ There is some work that has to get done.
“Kyle Shanahan is very charismatic. And also very good at making sure football players are good at their jobs. He’s a great play designer, and he has helped Deebo Samuel become the dynamic weapon he has been. So, I think they can get it worked out, but they are not there yet.”
It’s not a shock that Samuel didn’t immediately renege on his pre-draft trade request. He’s unlikely to suit up even for training camp without a new deal in place. That’s not out of the ordinary for stars entering the final year of a contract though, especially when it’s a rookie deal that hasn’t earned them big-time money yet.
Rapoport said one key to the reconciliation could be 49ers third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price.
“And it has more to do with just contracts,” Rapoport said. “I think the fact the 49ers drafted a running back in the (third round) was actually valuable and important, because then (Samuel) doesn’t have to be used as a running back as much as maybe he was last year. That is probably an important part of this, along with other things like contract and whatever else.”
This lends more validity to reports that Samuel was unhappy with the role he took on over the second half of last year where he was averaging nearly eight carries per game despite monster receiving numbers in the first half. His receiving production tailed off and became less consistent as the team started using him more as a running back.
There was speculation that perhaps Samuel wanted additional money to account for the RB element of his usage. Rapoport said Samuel has a longer-term vision though.
“I think it’s more career longevity,” Rapoport said. “And running backs, it hurts, you get injured all the time, you have a short career. You’ve seen the contracts with running backs, it’s different. As a receiver, those guys are getting paid like nothing we’ve ever seen and you can play into your 30s.”
While there’s nothing concrete from Rapoport, the fact an NFL reporter as plugged in as he is is at least optimistic that a deal can eventually get done is good news for the 49ers.
