SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As the San Francisco 49ers prepared for free agency and the NFL draft last year, there was a subtle but unmistakable sense that wide receiver was a sneaky roster need.
On Saturday, the 49ers agreed to trade wideout Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick and now find themselves in a similar situation, though there's nothing sneaky about it this time.
Although a Samuel trade felt inevitable since he requested it in his end of season meeting, it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier for general manager John Lynch, who called Samuel one of his favorite draft picks since he took over in 2017.