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There is a slight bit of good news for Dallas Cowboys fans holding on to the slim hope that the team can pull off a blockbuster trade for San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel. The disgruntled playmaker was spotted in Dallas (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher) for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and Mavericks.
Not only was Samuel hanging out in Dallas, but Blitz Fits posted an Instagram photo of the wideout showing love to Cowboys franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. Fans can scroll through the photos below by clicking the right arrow to see Prescott and Samuel hanging out at the Mavs game.
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Deebo Liked a Twitter Message of Himself Wearing a Cowboys Uniform
To be clear, this does not mean the Cowboys are going to rush to trade for Samuel, but it is an intriguing storyline to watch. Prior to hitting radio silence on his future, Samuel liked a Twitter post from a fan featuring the playmaker wearing a Cowboys uniform next to Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“Man you look awesome wearing blue and silver with a star on your helmet! @19problemz,” Twitter user @Shane_2104 said on April 20 in the Samuel-endorsed message.
Trade Offers for Deebo Were Not ‘Remotely Close,’ Says 49ers
For context, Samuel started being mentioned in trade rumors after ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported on April 20, 2022 that the receiver requested a trade. Despite the rumors, the 49ers remain entrenched on attempting to patch things up with Samuel, passing on any draft day deals.
“Breaking News: I just spoke to wide receiver Deebo Samuel — and he told me that he has asked the 49ers to trade him,” Darlington tweeted. “He did not want to discuss specific reasons behind his request, but he has indeed let the 49ers know his desire to leave the organization. More to come.”
Samuel has one season remaining on his four-year, $7.24 million rookie contract and is due for a sizable raise from his $3.98 million salary for 2022. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan noted after day two of the draft that none of the available trade offers were “remotely close” to a fair deal for San Francisco.
“Yeah, I was real surprised, I think [49ers GM John Lynch] spoke a lot on that last week I think, and I feel pretty much the same” Shanahan explained during an April 29 press conference. “We were surprised, but also once it does happen you know this business, so it can’t surprise you too much. But yeah, we were disappointed a little bit, but it’s part of this business and I mean, you’ll consider anything.
“You have a responsibility to help your organization the most you can. But losing a player like Deebo, it’s hard to see how that helps your organization. So, you try to look into all the aspects of it, and what people are willing to do and nothing was even remotely close that we thought would be fair for us or fair for the Niners.”
What Would the Cowboys Have to Trade to Acquire Samuel?
If the Cowboys did want to kick the tires on a Samuel trade, what would Dallas need to be comfortable sending San Francisco in a potential deal? We saw the Raiders give up two first-round picks to the Packers for Davante Adams. Miami sent Kansas City a total of five draft picks, including first and second-round selections, to acquire Tyreek Hill.
The biggest challenge for the Cowboys is not simply giving up two first-round picks (or something equivalent), but having to sign Samuel to a massive contract extension. New deals for receivers are starting to push towards the $30 million annual salary marker, a challenge for teams looking to build a balanced roster. Dallas just traded Amari Cooper’s remaining $60 million he was owed over the next three seasons, but the Cowboys brass have insisted that the deal was as much about the wideout’s production as it was the salary cap squeeze.
Yet, the reality is there is only so much money to go around with players like Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarcus Lawrence eating up a good portion of the cap space. The Cowboys have had a particularly thrifty offseason, and it would likely take a strong push from Prescott for the Cowboys to even remotely consider making a trade for Samuel. For now, Cowboys fans can still dream that the interest is mutual given Samuel’s overtures towards Dallas.
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