One of the final major dominoes yet to fall leading up to the NFL Draft is Deebo Samuel, who's broken off contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers and is now asking for a trade.
Samuel is coming off his best season as a pro, hauling in 77 catches for 1,406 yards and six touchdowns. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal but while the 49ers appeared ready to make him one of the league's highest-paid receivers, the star wideout expressed frustrations about his usage within the San Francisco offense.
"He's a top receiver but he also takes a lot of hits and is used like a running back, put all over the field and it just does not sound like he's comfortable as of right now with the way he is being used," explained NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
That brings us to his request to be shipped out of town, with odds now available on where he might suit up in 2022.
Deebo Samuel next team odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | -205 |
| New York Jets | +450 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1,000 |
| New England Patriots | +1,600 |
| Chicago Bears | +1,600 |
| Baltimore Ravens | +1,800 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +2,000 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +2,000 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +2,000 |
| Tennessee Titans | +2,000 |
| Buffalo Bills | +2,500 |
| Green Bay Packers | +2,500 |
| Cleveland Browns | +2,500 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of April 20.
San Francisco 49ers (-205)
With Deebo Samuel still on his rookie contract, the ball is very much in San Francisco's court, making them the favorites to retain the star WR amidst any potential trade talks.
According to The Athletic's Connor Huges, the Niners have "zero intention" to trade Samuel. Guess we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.
New York Jets (+450)
Should Samuel get traded, there's no spot more likely than the New York Jets (+450).
The Jets have been longing for a top wide-receiving option and even found themselves right in the middle of the Tyreek Hill sweepstakes. Hill ultimately chose the Miami Dolphins, but a deal for Deebo Samuel may be the next best thing.
Not only do the Jets have multiple picks in each of the first two rounds of this year's draft, but there are also some connections working in their favor. Jets head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur were both with the Niners when the team drafted Samuel in 2019 — LaFleur being the passing coordinator at the time.
Philadelphia Eagles (+1,000)
Another team with the draft capital to get a deal like this done is the Philadelphia Eagles, next on the board at +1,000.
Philly has five draft picks in the first three rounds this year, including two first-rounders, and a handful of extra picks in 2023 as well.
Acquiring a receiver of Samuel's caliber to pair with DeVonta Smith will not only bring a new dimension to the offense, but help ramp up the development of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Looking to bet on some NFL action? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2022.
Other notables
Behind the Jets and Eagles are a handful of other playoff contenders who'd like to find themselves in the mix for Samuel, including Tom Brady's Buccaneers (+2,000), the Chiefs (+2,000) — still filling a Tyreek Hill-sized void — as well as the Bills and Packers further down at +2,500.
NFL offseason tracker: Where did they go?
As the NFL offseason progresses, free agents will sign and players will get traded. Below is the list of notable players that have found new teams (or stayed with their old team) - and what their odds were of landing there.
| Player | New team | Old team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | Green Bay Packers | N/A |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | TBD | San Francisco 49ers | |
| Tom Brady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Ryan Tannehill | TBD | Tennessee Titans | |
| Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns | Houston Texans | |
| Russell Wilson | Denver Broncos | Seattle Seahawks | +750 |
| Baker Mayfield | TBD | Cleveland Browns | |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | TBD | Los Angeles Rams | |
| Cordarelle Patterson | Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons | |
| Rob Gronkowski | TBD | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | Kansas City Chiefs | Pittsburgh Steelers |
