There have been rumors swirling all offseason that the 49ers might look to trade Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel as they look to trim costs on an expensive roster. Drafting Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will do little to calm the storm.
The 49ers used just one draft pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and opted to spend it on a wide receiver, a position that on paper heading into 2024 would appear to be one of strength because of Aiyuk and Samuel being on the roster. Though the depth tails off after those two and Jauan Jennings, it was certainly not a major weakspot on the team.
Many had projected San Francisco to bolster the defensive line after the free agency departures of Chase Young and Arik Armstead, or along the offensive line where teams can never have enough depth.
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But by taking Pearsall, there is increased speculation the 49ers could wind up trading Samuel, who is only under contract for two more seasons or Aiyuk, who is heading into the final year of his contract with San Francisco. Both are expected to command massive salaries in an ever-growing market for top-tier wide receivers.
49ers WR depth chart
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Deebo Samuel
- Jauan Jennings
- Ricky Pearsall
- Ronnie Bell
- Chris Conley
- Trent Taylor
Between the 49ers' most established starters at receiver, Samuel is reportedly the more likely to be traded, according to The Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi. Before the draft, the Patriots had early discussions about swinging a deal for Samuel, according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson.
Following the pick of Pearsall, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan said that while there have been trade discussions, nothing came close to going down, according to ESPN. However, neither fully shut the door on trading a receiver, either.
Pearsall was widely considered to be a bit of a reach, with some considering him to be as low as a possible third-round pick in the draft. Though he could potentially muddy the water for the 49ers' receiving room, Pearsall also might just be depth for now with the plan being to succeed one of the two at some point, as speculated by The Athletic's Tim Kawakami. Ultimately though, Kawakami believes Pearsall is a Samuel replacement, not an Aiyuk replacement.
Given Pearsall's positional value and special teams ability, he could be another Swiss Army knife for the 49ers as a player capable of filling in at any spot. That gives him both value in 2024 as a depth piece or as a potential replacement if the 49ers receive an offer they can't refuse on an established wideout.
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Deebo Samuel contract
Before the start of the 2022 season, the 49ers and Samuel agreed to a three-year, $71.55 million extension with $58.1 million guaranteed. The contract runs through the 2025 season with two void years tacked on to the end of the deal.
There is a chance the 49ers could just cut Samuel after the 2024 season. Spotrac details that a pre-June 1 cut would cost the 49ers $15.1 million in dead cap, but free up $9.1 million in space. A post-June 1 cut would cost $6.7 million in dead cap in 2025 and $8.5 million in 2026 while freeing $17.6 million in space in 2025. The same figures would be the case should the 49ers trade him.
The numbers are significantly different for the 2024 season. A pre-June 1 cut would result in a $42.8 million dead cap hit and an overall loss of $14.1 million. A pre-June 1 trade, however, would save $6.8 million against the cap with a $21.8 million dead cap hit.
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Should it be a post-June 1 release, the move would save the 49ers $1 million against the cap with dead cap hits of $27.6 million in 2024 and $15.1 million. A trade would save $22 million in 2024 on a $6.7 dead cap in 2024 and a $15.1 dead cap hit in 2025.
San Francisco would not consider simply releasing Samuel from his contract this offseason. If that move were to happen, it's more likely the cut would happen next offseason when it would save San Francisco money to do so. However, a trade could free up space and get the 49ers out from under the contract of the 28-year-old receiver.
Highest-paid WRs
This offseason has already featured three massive extensions given to wide receivers: DeVonta Smith (three years, $75 million), Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120 million) and A.J. Brown (three years, $96 million). That's also before CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase all sign extensions, all of whom could reset the market.
Below is a look at the 10 highest-paid NFL wide receivers in AAV, per OverTheCap.com.
| Rank | Player | Team | AAV |
| 1 | A.J. Brown | Eagles | $32 million |
| 2 | Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | $30 million |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | Lions | $30 million | |
| 4 | Davante Adams | Raiders | $28 million |
| 5 | Cooper Kupp | Rams | $26.7 million |
| 6 | DeVonta Smith | Eagles | $25 million |
| 7 | DK Metcalf | Seahawks | $24 million |
| 8 | Deebo Samuel | 49ers | $23.85 million |
| 9 | Michael Pittman Jr. | Colts | $23.33 million |
| 10 | Terry McLaurin | Commanders | $23.2 million |
Here are the highest-paid wide receivers in total contract value:
| Rank | Player | Team | Total contract |
| 1 | Davante Adams | Raiders | $140 million |
| 2 | Tyreek Hill | Dolphins | $120 million |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | Lions | $120 million | |
| 4 | A.J. Brown | Eagles | $100 million |
| Amari Cooper | Browns | $100 million | |
| 6 | A.J. Brown | Eagles | $96 million |
| 7 | Calvin Ridley | Titans | $92 million |
| 8 | Cooper Kupp | Rams | $80.1 million |
| 9 | Keenan Allen | Bears | $80.1 million |
| 10 | DK Metcalf | Seahawks | $72 million |
| Christian Kirk | Jaguars | $72 million |
