The San Francisco 49ers have given Deebo Samuel a permission to seek a trade. Should the Denver Broncos be interested in acquiring him?
With the offseason officially here, our focus the next few months will be covering how the Denver Broncos can get and will get better over the course of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. One area I suspect the Broncos may pursue an addition is at wide receiver.
The team has already been linked to Garrett Wilson and Cooper Kupp, but another name recently popped on the radar. After the Super Bowl, it didn’t take long for some major news to break across the National Football League. One of the first big tidbits to drop were reports that the San Francisco 49ers are allowing veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel to request a trade.
And wouldn’t you know it? Just a day later, Samuel named the Broncos as a team to watch out for and believes they could be special. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, with this being a player-driven trade idea and Denver having Bo Nix at quarterback, the potential for Denver being a true landing spot for Samuel does make sense.
Sometimes little ripples like this can turn out to be waves. It remains to be seen if the Broncos have interest in acquiring the 29-year-old veteran wide receiver, but I’m sure talks will heat up once teams assemble in Indianapolis for this year’s NFL Combine. That’s still a few weeks aways, but it never hurts to check the pulse on how Broncos Country would feel about such a move.
Earlier in the week, SB Nation’s Reacts asked Broncos’ fans whether or not they’d be in favor of acquiring Samuel. Only 40-percent said yes. I’ll add a poll to this post and see if the results are any different. Let’s take a look at reasons why the Broncos should and shouldn’t pursue Samuel.
Recapping Deebo Samuel’s career with the 49ers
A second-round selection for the 49ers in 2019, Samuel’s breakout season was in 2021. For his efforts, he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after posting 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also added 59 rushes for 365 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Since then, Samuel’s production on offense has steadily declined. Though in 2023 and 2024 he did amass over 1,000 all-purpose yards. Though this past season, he only made that mark by accruing 533 kick return yards and averaged over 31 yards on them. His receiving and rushing numbers were far less than ‘21.
In six seasons with the 49ers, Samuel played in 81 games with 73 starts. He has reeled in 334 receptions for 4,792 yards and 22 touchdowns. On top of that, he has rushed the ball 202 times for 1,142 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The case for the Broncos acquiring Samuel via trade
One of the primary reasons Denver should kick the tires on a potential trade for Samuel is cost. All factors considered, a Day 3 selection and pick swap likely would get the job done. That’s not much to give up for a good playmaker even though he hasn’t been as productive as his peak year in 2021.
With that in mind, Broncos Country needs to ask themselves this. Do you feel confident in the Broncos’ ability to draft a player on Day 3 that could have as much of a potential impact as Samuel in their offense next season? It’s certainly possible, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
A big component missing from the Broncos’ offense over the past few seasons has been a wide receiver who is dynamic after the catch. Despite decreased production, Samuel still ranks as one of the most productive receivers after the catch in the NFL. He was still Top 10 in the NFL this season in that regard. That would be a boon for the Broncos’ offense that needs a spark and a playmaker who can help in that regard.
The case against the Broncos acquiring Samuel via trade
A reworked deal might be a perquisite from Samuel and his agent for any potential trade suitors. The Broncos currently sit at around $35 million in cap space for the 2025 season. A majority of Samuel’s cap hit is in the form of an option bonus. He would only count for $4.25 million against the cap in ‘25, but if an extension doesn’t happen, Denver would incur over $12 million in dead money for 2026.
Outside of Courtland Sutton’s 2025 salary cap allocation, the Broncos have no large contract at the wide receiver position. So, they can certainly make the financials work. But there appears to be a growing feeling across the league that the 49ers will designate him as a post-June 1st cut instead because that’s more beneficial to their cap siutation.
Additionally, durability concerns also exist with nagging hamstring and ankle injuries causing him to miss time over the past several seasons. He doesn’t appear to be as explosive as he was earlier on in his career.
On top of that, during the last quarter of the season, Marvin Mims Jr. became a fixture in Denver’s offense and was used in multiple ways and on concepts Samuel is known to do. Therefore, there might be some overlap in skillset. However, I’d argue that Samuel is still better after the catch and at breaking tackles compared to Mims.
Final thoughts on the Broncos acquiring Samuel
This is really a coin-flip situation. The Broncos have ample cap space to make a deal work both short and long-term. It’s just whether or not the front office believes Samuel would be a game-changer for the offense and worth a multi-year investment. Could Head Coach Sean Payton craft a defined role for him? Or would he prefer to continue and develop some of the younger talent at receiver on the roster?
I have no issue with the Broncos trading for Samuel for a Day 3 pick. The more offensive firepower the better. The team has three sixth-round selections to work with that could be appealing to the 49ers in a trade. However, they would need to come to an agreement on an extension for the cap reasons mentioned above.