Getty San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel catching some passes before an NFL game.
The New York Jets wanted to make a big-time trade this offseason and they swung the bat but weren’t able to make contact.
There was a ton of smoke around a potential Deebo Samuel trade and at certain moments over the last few weeks, it looked like it could happen. Ultimately the Jets went in a different direction when they selected wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, out of Ohio State with the No. 10 overall pick.
Prior to making that pick, Gang Green made a final offer to the San Francisco 49ers but they rejected it.
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Fascinating Package
According to Matt Barrows who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, the Jets offered the No. 10 overall pick and a fifth round draft choice in exchange for Samuel and the No. 61 overall pick (second-rounder).
Barrows said that the offer from the Jets and the Detroit Lions was “deemed too weak.” Gang Green’s package was the best offer out there but still, it wasn’t enough to “move the needle” for San Francisco.
While Samuel wasn’t moved on Thursday night, two other star receivers were shipped off in draft-day deals.
AJ Brown of the Tennessee Titans was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a first and third-round draft choice in 2022. While Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown of the Baltimore Ravens was attached with a third-rounder in 2022 and sent to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2022 first-rounder.
After the first round, general manager Joe Douglas spoke with the media but refused to comment if he was involved in any of those other deals or discussions.
A New Beginning
Now the Samuel trade dream is over, the Jets have moved on.
Instead of trading a package of trade assets and paying Samuel an unbelievable price tag that would’ve been north of $25 million per year on a multi-year deal, Gang Green is instead going with a youth movement.
Wilson is 21 years old (will be 22 by the start of the 2022 season) and Samuel is 26 years of age. The elder statesmen would’ve become one of the top-five highest-paid wide receivers in football. While on the other side of the fence, Wilson’s entire rookie contract is worth $22.5 million across four years, per Market Watch.
Gang Green will save a ton of money by not pulling the trigger on this blockbuster deal, however as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Samuel is a proven commodity and is considered among the best offensive playmakers in the NFL. Wilson is a total unknown rookie lottery ticket and it’ll be up to the Jets to unlock the full potential that lies beneath the surface.
Fortunately, he won’t have to do it alone, the talented former Ohio State wide receiver joins a budding group that features Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, and Corey Davis.
It is a calculated risk by the folks on One Jets Drive, however with this quartet of receivers, the green and white have the best set of pass catchers they’ve had since 2015.
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