Rapoport highlights why 49ers trading Deebo during draft is difficult

Rapoport highlights why 49ers trading Deebo during draft is difficult originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers trading star wide receiver Deebo Samuel could be difficult for several reasons.

Perhaps most importantly, Samuel is a beloved member of the organization and parting ways with one of the team's foundational pieces would be a tough pill for general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan to swallow. Another potential roadblock could be finding a team willing to meet the 49ers' asking price.

However, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, who joined Rich Eisen on the "Rich Eisen Show" Friday morning, offered another reason why the 49ers could have a difficult time trading Samuel during the 2024 NFL Draft.

"It's hard to do, because you want to get a guy a physical," Rapoport said. "And so worst-case scenario is, let's say the 49ers trade him tonight on the clock for a third-rounder or something and then God forbid he fails a physical and they already used the pick. So it's hard to do. It's a challenge.

"Do you remember when Hollywood Brown got traded to the Cardinals and it was broken on the clock? He was already in Arizona having taken a physical and he showed up at their draft party like 'I'm here.' But the deal was done because his physical was done. So it's a challenge, it really is."

Samuel is believed to be the "odd man out" between he and his counterpart Brandon Aiyuk after the 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in the first round of the draft, the San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver reported late Thursday night, citing multiple front-office and coaching sources.

Silver also reported that a Samuel trade could materialize quickly, with San Francisco reportedly seeking second- and third-round selections for its star receiver. CBS Sports' Josina Anderson then reported Friday, citing a source, that the New England Patriots had "preliminary trade discussions" with the 49ers about a Samuel trade before the draft began.

While it seems increasingly likely Samuel could be traded soon, it's far from a guarantee, and the difficult nature of the deal could present some issues.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast