A report circulated Thursday evening that veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel may be available for trade. After two trades kept the Bills out of the first round in the draft, perhaps that availability is something they’re considering.
The Buffalo Bills were in the mood to surprise Thursday during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Their most pressing need, as widely regarded by the public, was the wide receiver position. The Bills were so motivated to go in that route that they traded twice, landing outside of round one, and now possess the 33rd overall pick — the start of the second round — Friday.
To add to Bills supporters’ frustration, both trades — one to Kansas City for
However, it appears that those are not the wide receivers you are looking for.
Xavier Worthy and one to Carolina for Xavier Legette — ended in wide receivers going to the opposing side.
Instead, focus on San Francisco, which took Florida slot receiver Ricky Pearsall at number 31 overall. Then read into the chatter that has surrounded the defending NFC champions all offseason: they are looking to move veteran outside receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is about to sign a contract extension. Instead, experienced NFL reporter Mike Silver argues that something else could be wrong.
Based on my conversations with other teams, the 49ers are now more likely to deal Deebo Samuel than they are Brandon Aiyuk. Stay tuned.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 26, 2024
Perhaps the Bills understand what they are doing after all.
Samuel’s use in San Francisco has decreased since being named First Team All-Pro in 2021, despite having two years left on his contract (which runs through 2025). He had 60 catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns last season, playing in 15 games, a per-game decrease from his 94/632/2 in 2022. It’s at best a plateau that, when combined with a $20.9 million basic salary in 2024, supports Silver’s claim that Samuel may
The fact that seven receivers were taken in the first round would be a giveaway, and while the Bills began Friday with WRs Adonai Mitchell and Ladd McConkey staring them down, San Francisco’s addition of the dynamic inside-route specialist Pearsall means Deebo may be had. And a bounce-back year with 100 or more targets would be ideal for Buffalo, despite the high cost.
The odds would be better. The Bills will stay put, maximising the additional capital they’ve received in trading out of the first round, but It would only make sense for them to call John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan and see if the once-highly productive and versatile veteran could be had, especially if Samuel might be amenable to a new contract.
be simpler to trade.