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Someone who didn’t have much time on the football field is the one San Francisco 49ers player Deebo Samuel believes is the one to watch for 2023.
Speaking with Matthew Berry and Jay Croucher on NBC’s Fantasy Football Happy Hour on Thursday, February 9 at Radio Row in Phoenix, Samuel told both hosts that his breakout candidate is the one who was one yard shy from gaining 100 yards this season.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing [RB] Ty Davis-Price,” Samuel said. The 2021 All-Pro Samuel said he’s excited to see “how he approaches the offseason, how he’s going to approach this coming year with not having much time on the field this year.”
Third Rounder Will be Seeking to Hit the Ground Running With SF in Year 2
Davis-Price was considered a surprise day two draft pick for the 49ers in April 2022 after being given a fourth and fifth round grade by nfl.com draft expert Lance Zierlein. The LSU Tiger, however, was limited to just six games while dealing with a high ankle sprain.
And as Davis-Price was ruled inactive for a high number of games, Christian McCaffrey was eventually brought over via trade to rev up the ground game. Then in the playoffs, 2021 lead rusher Elijah Mitchell returned to become the power back versus the Dallas Cowboys that Davis-Price was originally brought in for.
Davis-Price’s best statistical outing was a 14-carry, 33-yard day in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. He ended up taking 70 offensive snaps per Pro Football Reference.
However, Samuel says the 49ers haven’t lessened their expectations for Davis-Price,
“I mean, the team has high expectations for him,” Samuel said. “We drafted him in the third round, so I’m just ready to see how he comes back from this year.”
And if Davis-Price does indeed deliver the kind of runs the 49ers drafted him for, the league could be looking at the most fierce quartet of backfield options in McCaffrey, Mitchell, Samuel and Davis-Price.
Samuel Shares Honesty About NFC Title Game
Outside of predicting a big 2023 for the third rounder, Samuel addressed another constant topic on Radio Row: The NFC title game debacle.
Samuel, though, joined Robbie Gould and Brandon Aiyuk in believing the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles skated by because of playing with two hobbled quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson.
“We can just go back to the first quarter, the first half…just look how well our defense was actually playing, keeping Jalen [Hurts] in the pocket, which he doesn’t like to do at all,” Samuel said to Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Thursday. “On fourth-and-5 you grant them a catch that you know is not a catch on fourth down.
“Then after that, Brock [Purdy’s] fumble, they’re right there at the 25-yard line, like that’s points right there,” Samuel continued. “And then just the amount of penalties, it was just outrageous. And then what a coincidence again, we turn the ball over again and it’s 21-7.”
Samuel wasn’t finished, adding “So the offense wasn’t doing anything, nothing. Our defense was doing what they were supposed to and I feel like if Brock was in at quarterback and how our offense moves, I don’t think it would have been close if that makes sense.”
Samuel insists that he wasn’t saying that as being bitter about losing by 24 points.
“It’s not sour grapes at all, it’s just what I see every day. I’m not salty at all, I just speak facts,” Samuel said.
And on Friday evening with his and his 49ers’ teammates’ words making its rounds everywhere including the Eagles’ locker room, Samuel posted this tweet indicating he’s sticking to his comments.
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