The Green Bay Packers have a long list of receivers, but it’s hard to say who, if anyone, is the top dog.
Between Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks, the Packers have a lot of interesting young talent, but no 1,000-yard sure thing. All four of those players also got hurt within the final two weeks of the season, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the group as a whole.
Would a trade make sense this winter or spring for the Packers to bring a jolt of star power to their young receiving core?
Recently, FanSided’s Jovan Alford discussed the possibility of the Packers trading for San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, who, along with the Seattle Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf, was under consideration for the Packers in the second round of the 2019 draft.
“Samuel was selected 36th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, and Metcalf was taken with the 64th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. Both wide receivers are entering the final year of their deals and could be viewed as possible trade candidates,” said.
“It would be shocking to see the Seahawks part ways with Metcalf, who is a solid complement to second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But the same can’t be said for Samuel, who took a step back this past season. It doesn’t help that San Francisco has Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, who stepped up.”
Samuel, 28, is a one-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro from the 2021 season, when he had 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns. At his best, he’s as dynamic with the ball in his hands as anyone in the league–but he’s been plagued by injuries in the three years since.
Down years happen for every player, but the Packers should take special care when checking in on Samuel that the 2024 season wasn’t a sign of a long-term decline. The wideout averaged career lows in success rate (40.7%) and yards per game (44.7) while suffering rib and calf injuries.
Entering the final year of his three-year, $71 million contract, there’s been widespread speculation that Samuel could be available. There’s no harm in the Packers at least finding out what San Francisco is looking for to part ways with him.
