Earlier this month, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel made his trade request public, creating ripples within the organization.
While General Manager John Lynch had previously expressed in January that the team wasn’t looking to part with its top talent, his stance shifted during a recent press conference at the NFL scouting combine.
“You know, still not interested,” Lynch began. “But along those lines of the financial constraints, and some conversations we’ve had with Deebo – it’s something that we’ve been forthright with that. We’re on good terms with Deebo. He’s asked for a fresh start and I think we’re going to honor that.
“Don’t like seeing great players – and he is a great player, I think often one of my favorite draft picks in my time. He makes plays. He makes game-changing plays.
“Everything’s good. But at some point, time happens and he asked for that, we don’t always – there’s contracts and things. But it probably makes sense, so we’re at least allowing him to look. And we’re having conversations, we’ll see how it goes.”
The 49ers have previously discussed trading Samuel but had not reached a deal.
Lynch explained that while he understands the reason behind Samuel’s trade request, the specifics of their conversations remain private.
“Those are personal conversations. And like I said, everybody’s on good terms,” Lynch continued. “Hopefully, we find a great place and then we’ll have to make a decision if we don’t. But there’s been a lot of interest around the league.”
There has been speculation that other teams are waiting to see if the 49ers might release Samuel if a trade doesn’t materialize.
Lynch didn’t dismiss the possibility but also wasn’t ruling out the chance that Samuel could remain with the team. “There’s always a scenario. I’ve learned that as well,” he admitted.
Despite the business realities, Lynch admitted that parting ways with a player of Samuel’s caliber is a tough decision.
“There’s a lot of love there. There’s a lot of respect there. There’s a lot of shared experiences,” he said.
“So, to let that go, that’s difficult. But like I said, time happens and if it makes sense for both sides, you at least give it a chance. And so that’s where [we’re] at.”
The complicated Deebo situation begs the question: Have the headaches he’s caused – at least in part – cost the 49ers a Super Bowl?
He’s clearly not the same player he used to be. Now he wants out of San Francisco. Will we look back on this time as a missed opportunity for the Niners?
At the end of the day, where do you think Deebo will end up???
