To the surprise of some people, Deebo Samuel remains a member of the San Francisco 49ers. He requested a trade before the draft, and while the organization said that they did not want to trade him, it felt like a move was inevitable. However, a deal still could take place at some point in time and the Indianapolis Colts would make sense as a potential destination.
The 2022 NFL Draft presented a great time for the 49ers to make a deal as they would get some draft capital and be able to select a player to replace him. The New York Jets were involved in trade talks centered on Samuel, but ultimately, no deal was reached. New York selected Ohio State wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, with the 10th overall pick that was going to be traded to San Francisco in the deal.
The trade rumors are unlikely to subside just because the draft is now behind us. Once the 49ers start-up some offseason programs and Samuel isn’t taking part, rumors will begin swirling again.
A lot of movement has occurred this offseason at the wide receiver position, but there could be more on the horizon. There are plenty of teams around the league that would still take Samuel, one of them being the Indianapolis Colts. What would it take for the Colts to land him?
Draft picks would assuredly be part of the package heading back to the 49ers. You also have to take into consideration the new contract that he would be receiving as well. A.J. Brown received a four-year, $100 million deal from the Philadelphia Eagles when they traded for him during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Colts will have to do something to differentiate their offer from the others that will be proposed. Something like a first and third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft could get negotiations started.
San Francisco would likely push for higher draft capital, maybe looking to land a second-round pick instead of two later picks. It is hard to gauge what the 49ers may deem fair compensation as Davante Adams was traded for two picks and Tyreek Hill was acquired for five. Marquise Brown even landed a first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens and Samuel should be more expensive to acquire than that.
Three picks for Deebo Samuel feels like a solid offer, but it is hard to predict how much those selections will be worth down the road. If the Colts are contenders, as they are hoping to be, those will be late first and third-round selections. Is that enough to convince the 49ers to part with an All-Pro such as Samuel?
