Even as they took trade calls on him during last year’s draft, it would have been difficult to imagine the San Francisco 49ers being willing to part with Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round pick.
But things can change in a hurry in the NFL, and that is exactly the deal the Niners agreed to on Saturday as they obliged Samuel’s trade request and dealt him to the Washington Commanders.
The 49ers were reportedly seeking a fourth-round pick in exchange for Samuel’s services, a return they likely would have received and then some 12 months ago when the 2019 second-round selection was coming off a 12-touchdown campaign.