This offseason saw the wide receiver market boom in the NFL. Two players, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill signed record-setting deals following trades. Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders from the Green Bay Packers for first and second-round picks, signing the biggest contract in NFL history for a wide receiver. Now, the Atlanta Falcons could be looking to make a play for a new wideout.
Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks and then signed the biggest contract in NFL history on a per annual basis, agreeing to a four-year, $120 million deal. After seeing how much money those two players received, others around the league are looking to cash in as well.
One of the next wide receivers that will be looking to sign a big contract is Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. Samuel is reportedly not happy with how negotiations have gone thus far and is going to sit out some offseason activities as a result.
The 49ers do not want to trade him, but they will likely listen to offers. It would be detrimental to the franchise to not at least hear what teams are willing to offer. Plenty of teams would line up to land the versatile Samuel, one of which could be the Falcons.
There is a dearth of talent at the wide receiver spot for the Falcons. With Calvin Ridley suspended for at least the 2022 season and Russell Gage Jr. departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, there isn’t much to get excited about. Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd are atop the depth chart currently with the versatile Cordarrelle Patterson, who eventually became the team’s starting running back.
They desperately need an infusion of talent at wide receiver, as they aren’t providing Marcus Mariota, their current starting quarterback, much of a chance to succeed. They are putting a lot of reliance on their second-year tight end, Kyle Pitts, if there isn’t some more talent added to the roster.
Samuel could be that upgrade that the team needs. He is essentially a souped-up version of Patterson, as Arthur Smith would have a blast creating schemes with two players possessing that level of versatility.
While Atlanta is in a rebuild, as they traded away long-time starting quarterback Matt Ryan this offseason, Samuel is young enough at only 26-years old to fit into their timeline. He would provide whoever is the long-term answer at the quarterback position a go-to weapon to rely on regardless of the situation.
Samuel caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards in 2021, leading the league with 18.2 yards per reception. He had five receiving touchdowns, adding eight more on the ground. Samuel finished the season with 59 rushes for 365 yards as a do-it-all weapon on the 49ers’ offense.
Adding that kind of explosiveness would certainly help a Falcons offense that is lacking playmakers at this point in time.
