Getty A New York Jets fan celebrating during an NFL game.
Things are starting to move and groove ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
According to Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network, New York Jets general manager, Joe Douglas is “all in” on using the No. 10 overall pick to acquire San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
🚨 Buckle your seatbelts: word in league circles is #Jets GM Joe Douglas is ‘all in’ on using the No. 10 overall pick to acquire #49ers WR Deebo Samuel, per @TonyPauline of @PFN365 🚨 #TakeFlight #FTTB #NFL
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Why That Is Such a Big Deal
This is a significant step to potentially making this dream trade a reality.
On the Friday episode of Get Up, ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler said if the Jets were willing to give up the No. 10 overall pick in the first round, “that could be enough to get something done” with the 49ers.
Now that it seems like the Jets are willing to give up that level of compensation, this deal could come together very quickly.
We have two of the three things necessary for a trade.
Samuel wants out and does not want to play another snap for San Francisco. The Jets, according to Pauline, are willing to give up a premium asset that no other team in the NFL can compete with.
The last missing of the puzzle is the 49ers coming to the realization that this is a lost cause. From all indications, they’re trying to do everything in their power to fix whatever is wrong with their relationship with Samuel, but if they come to terms with the fact that isn’t possible, that is when a deal could come to fruition.
The Pressure Is On
Interestingly enough all of the pressure is on the 49ers, not the Jets.
With the 2022 NFL draft mere days away, it is crunch time for San Francisco.
This team was just in the NFC championship game last year, they can’t afford to go nuclear with Samuel. If he wants out and they can’t fix it, which seems to be the case, they have to trade him ahead of the draft.
If they don’t, then Samuel could decide to sit the entire season and all of the sudden one of your best players is out and you have nothing to show for it. If you decide to trade him after the draft then none of the pieces you’d get back in a trade could help you for the upcoming 2022 season.
Remember back in 2019 when the Jets traded away safety Jamal Adams in a blockbuster deal right before training camp? They dealt one of their best players on the team for a bounty of picks. Fortunately, everyone knew they were going to be terrible so it didn’t matter that they got nothing back to help them immediately.
San Francisco doesn’t have that same luxury as a team with title aspirations.
If the 49ers dealt away Samuel they could get a king’s ransom back in return to immediately try to replace him. In this particular case, they’d get the No. 10 overall pick straight up for the talented wideout.
They could either select a top-flight wideout who could step right in or they could trade back and get even more picks.
This is a complicated trade to pull off because the 49ers have to be satisfied with their compensation and the Jets have to then sign Samuel to a monster contract extension.
There is a lot of moving parts at work here, but as we’ve seen this offseason if there is a will there is a way for these deals to come together quickly.
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