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There was a Deebo Samuel sighting in the Bay Area on Thursday evening, May 26: Watching the Golden State Warriors capture the Western Conference title while sitting courtside.
With his return to San Francisco that evening, does it signify that the All-Pro is on his way back from ending his hold out with the San Francisco 49ers? Or is there still the belief that Samuel, who requested a trade in April, could still be in another uniform for the 2022 season?
While the New York Jets and Detroit Lions lost out on their trade proposals during the NFL Draft to land Samuel, there’s still one NFL analyst from Bleacher Report who listed Samuel’s name as part of a “shocking trade” proposal involving an AFC playoff team from last season.
“We are here to bring you shocking trade ideas, not sensible ones,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey on Wednesday, May 25.
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Trade Idea Involving Samuel
Tansey’s idea: Samuel is among the trade options for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A move like that not only would put Samuel in a WR room with Pro Bowler and 100-catch wideout Diontae Johnson plus Chase Claypool, but it gives newcomer behind center via the 2022 draft Kenny Pickett a new Pro Bowl caliber weapon to work with.
“The upside of a potential Samuel trade is that Pittsburgh would have a loaded wide receiver corps to challenge any of the contenders in the AFC,” Tansey wrote. “A Samuel-Diontae Johnson-Chase Claypool trio would provide a massive boost to Kenny Pickett in his rookie season, and it would hand the Steelers a better wide receiver group than the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.”
Tansey believes the triplet of Johnson-Claypool-Samuel can better the Bengals’ options of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
However, Tansey writes that this is not going to be easy to pull on the Steelers’ end.
Why the Trade Will be Hard for the Steelers
While Tansey writes the wild idea, he does also wrote down the reality aspect of this proposed deal.
“Deebo Samuel is coveted by a handful of teams, including the one that currently employs him, and a deal would be difficult to manage,” Tansey wrote. “A trade for Samuel would be one of the most un-Steeler-like moves we have seen from the franchise in quite some time. After all, the Steelers moved on from Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, so why would they bring in a wide receiver who is stirring up internal tension where he currently plays.”
Much like the failed Jets and Lions deals, the Steelers would also have to involve draft picks.
“This deal makes little sense from a realistic standpoint since the Steelers would have to give up a few draft picks in return for Samuel,” Tansey wrote. “The Steelers would not want to do that for obvious reasons with a young squad in place and draft picks likely to add to that new core over the next few years. But one is allowed to dream even the slightest bit with the biggest name on the trade market.”
But a move like this also could put a damper on the early development of two wideouts the Steelers drafted to catch passes from Pickett: The 52nd overall pick George Pickens of national champion Georgia and the No. 138 overall pick Calvin Austin III of Memphis, who’s expected to man the slot spot in the Steel City.
The Steelers would have to likely pull off a Miami Dolphins-like tactic when they pilfered Tyreek Hill (five draft picks were involved in landing Hill) just to get Samuel in Pittsburgh. Plus, in the history of the Steelers organization regardless of who is the general manager, Pittsburgh isn’t one to aggressively pursue a young Pro Bowl talent during the offseason by offering trade packages. The Steelers have been known more throughout the league to build their roster through draft picks — as names like the recently retired Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu even past legends like Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann come to mind.
Samuel’s NBA playoffs appearance will be viewed as a smokescreen to some, or signs that he’ll finally re-set up shop in the Bay. Regardless, the latest “shocking trade” proposal with his name attached to it is considered a longshot to happen.
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