Joining in with the likes of Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy, could the Cleveland Browns target another veteran wide receiver in Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason?
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Samuel could be on the trade market this offseason. With Samuel entering the final year of his contract, San Francisco may look to move him after drafting a receiver in the first round of the NFL draft last season and recently extending Brandon Aiyuk, their younger, more traditional receiver. That situation makes Samuel an intriguing option for teams in need of skill players—including the Browns.
Samuel would theoretically give the Browns a true yards-after-catch monster and a legitimate big-play weapon. His ability to line up all over the field would make it very easy to slide into Kevin Stefanski’s offense, which values creativity and mismatches.
The Browns’ salary cap situation is difficult to navigate, with the team currently $30 million over the cap limit. This can be easily solved with a handful of restructures and cuts made to their current roster and is not a massive detriment. Given Samuel’s contract situation as well, the Niners will likely have to eat a portion of the deal to get a meaningful asset in return.
The Browns should be monitoring closely. If Deebo is available, Cleveland may not find a better opportunity to add a proven needle mover this season.
Could they hit the jackpot with Samuel like they did on Cooper and Jeudy in past trades?
