Should The Patriots Trade For Deebo Samuel?
Deebo Samuel, a star-wide back for the San Francisco 49ers, has reportedly requested a trade from his team. This news is according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. The team’s around the NFL likely view the move as one that doesn’t concern them due to the large cost of Deebo.
But, other executives around the league might see the move from Samuel as a massive opportunity to improve their teams. This opportunity is so rare that it requires sacrificing prime draft picks and players. What category do Belichick’s Patriots fall under?
Belichick’s Mindset
Bill Belichick once said, “On a team, it is not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together.” In other words, it is not about signing star players. Rather, it is about signing a strong collective team as a whole.
Clearly, Belichick is not opposed to the idea of sacrificing talent for a team bond, but could Bill possibly step over his own boundaries at an opportunity like this one? Unfortunately, a lot of signs point toward no.
It is not necessarily the fact that Belichick doesn’t want Deebo, because every team wants Deebo. It is the fact that Belichick doesn’t want to pay the trading cost for Deebo. According to ProFootballTalk, The 49ers don’t plan to trade Samuel.
They will only accept an offer that they “can’t refuse.” And, seeing as the Patriots just recently traded for Devante Parker, their wide receiver room should be just fine. Belichick feels comfortable with the squad that he has now. He probably won’t be looking to trade for a wide receiver. However, anything is possible, when we think Bill is going to zig he always zags.
<img class="lazyload" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/article/hero/Deebo-Samuel-USATSI-17443188.jpg?resize=840%2C472&ssl=1" alt="" width="840" height="472" data-recalc-dims="1" />
Deebo Samuel is pictured in his 49ers’ attire. (Via NBC Sports)
What If The Patriots Were To Trade For Then Sign Deebo Samuel?
A potential move for Samuel, as unlikely as it may seem, would presumably contain the Patriots’ 21st overall pick this year, one that has a lot of importance to improving the teams secondary. In addition to more prime draft capital, possibly a player as well. Not only would they have to give up draft capital, but the Patriots would also have to sign a massive extension for Deebo Samuel that would require a lot of space in the payroll to be cleared.
Logistically speaking, a Deebo trade to the Patriots would require a lot of space and planning to occur. But in the NFL there is no telling where players or picks will go. I hope that the Patriots will do most of their movement to obtain a wide receiver in the draft. After all, the Patriots could have just drafted Deebo instead of N’Keal Harry.
Other Options At WR If They Don’t Get Deebo
There are some viable options in the draft to look at if they want to continue to upgrade the room. First-round guys like Jameson Williams or Drake London. Some day two and beyond players could be John Metchie, Khalil Shakir, or Christain Watson.
The Patriots could try to target Kadarius Toney, a 2021 first-round pick from the Giants. Since the G-Men are shopping him around, he could come at a lower price. He does have some durability concerns but he flashed when on the field. His first year is not too different from what Deebo was in his first season.
There has to be something going on because the Giants were high enough on him to take him in the 20s just last season. I believe the new staff wants to pick their own player. Toney is a good discount option if we can’t find the proper terms for Deebo.
If Not The Patriots Then Where Does Deebo Samuel Go?
If the stars somehow were to align perfectly, Deebo would simply just go to the Patriots. But, if that weren’t to happen, Patriots fans should hope for Samuel to land somewhere as far away from the AFC East as possible.
Unfortunately, the Jets have the best current odds to land the star WR because of the draft capital that they possess. Another potential spot is The Packers as they also have two first-round selections
However, if Samuel lands on the Bills or Dolphins then that would be a call to panic. The chances of the Dolphins getting Samuel are close to zero, but the Bills always have a trick up their sleeve. This is a cause for concern given that we know the luck the Patriots have been having with the Bills lately. A landing spot we should prefer is any NFC team that is in the rebuilding stage. The Falcons, Commanders, Lions, and Bears would all be ideal.
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