Deebo Samuel

As the Buffalo Bills wait to make their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft until the second round begins on Friday night, they could use their extra time to explore the trade market for one of several wide receivers who might be available.

Per ESPN's Matt Miller, one team scout suggested the Bills could use Friday to try working out a deal for Tee Higgins, Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk.

All three players could be available, though the extent to which their current teams are exploring deals appears to vary.

Higgins requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals last month after receiving the franchise tag. The 25-year-old has said he anticipates remaining with the team in 2024.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bengals and Higgins haven't engaged in talks about a long-term contract in more than one year.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported the San Francisco 49ers were having trade conversations with teams, including one picking in the top 10 of the first round, with Aiyuk or Samuel mentioned as potential trade candidates.

Even though no trade happened in the first round, based on the draft results from Thursday, it does seem more likely that one of the 49ers' players will get traded instead of Higgins.

The 49ers used their first-round pick at No. 31 overall to select Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall. The Bengals' pick at No. 18 was Georgia tackle Amarius Mims.

If San Francisco's previously reported asking price of a first-round pick for Aiyuk is still what the team is seeking, that would seem to make Samuel the odd man out if a trade is going to happen.

That would also be the right decision from a practical standpoint. Samuel is two years older than Aiyuk and is prone to injuries. The South Carolina alum has missed 15 games over the past four seasons.

Aiyuk is angling for a new contract as he is set to enter the final season of his rookie deal. Samuel is signed through 2025 with a $20.97 million base salary next season.

Given the number of quality receivers still available, the Bengals could opt to select one of them if they want to trade Higgins.

The Bills are looming over everything in the receiver market. They opted not to make a pick in the first round by trading down twice, giving them the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall) and a total of three selections on day two.

Buffalo's receiver depth chart currently features Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Justin Shorter, Mack Hollins, KJ Hamler and Andy Isabella.

It feels almost certain the Bills will end Friday with at least one new wideout on their roster. It's just not clear if that player will come via trade or the draft.

Amid rumors that they will trade one of their star wide receivers, the San Francisco 49ers drafted wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday.

When asked about potential trades for Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel after the pick, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers "didn't close the door on anything."

The good news is Aiyuk is embracing the pick even though it might have an impact on his future. According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, Aiyuk texted general manager John Lynch and Shanahan to commend them for selecting Pearsall.

"Fire pick, can't lie," the text read.

The Pearsall pick could still have an impact on the receiver room, with San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Silver reporting the 49ers "are now more likely to deal Deebo Samuel than they are Brandon Aiyuk."

It wasn't clear whether San Francisco would trade either of the star receivers, but after their draft selection on Thursday, it seems the 49ers are leaning in that direction.

The two receivers accounted for much of San Francisco's offensive production last year. Aiyuk had 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while Samuel had 892 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Aiyuk is currently on a three-year, $12.5 million deal and is set to play on a fifth-year option in 2024. While he would likely get rewarded with a big contract next offseason, Aiyuk is reportedly seeking a bigger deal before the start of the season. According to Silver, he is seeking a contract with an annual average "well over" $25 million. If he isn't awarded that, it could lead to a holdout or a trade request.

Trading Samuel this season could be a financial move for San Francisco. If he is traded this year, it would give the 49ers a $21.7 million dead cap hit but would save them money down the line. It would be hard to replace Samuel's production, but with some added cap space they could sign a receiver to try to do so.

With Day 2 of the draft looming, a Samuel or Aiyuk trade could be coming soon. It's not clear whether San Francisco will try to leverage either player into picks or trade for an established talent, but it does seem like a trade is on the way.

In the meantime, the 49ers will look to develop their new wide receiver so he is ready to take on a big role if the team parts ways with one of their star talents.

The San Francisco 49ers have "had conversations with teams" about trading Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk to move up in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle previously reported Thursday the Niners have received calls on Samuel, though he cautioned San Francisco "would likely have to be blown away by the offer to make that move."

The uncertainty over Aiyuk's future stems from the fact he's in the last year of his rookie contract with the 49ers, who picked up his fifth-year option for 2024. This is the time for general manager John Lynch to trade the 2020 first-round pick if he has reservations about extending him amid a spike in the receiver market.

Samuel, on the other hand, is signed through 2025, so there isn't the same kind of urgency to either deal him or give him a new contract.

If he's contemplating something as aggressive as trading up into the top 10, Lynch may see the 2024 draft as his opportunity to find a younger, cheaper replacement for either of his star pass-catchers.

This is a good year to be on the lookout for the position. Nine of the top 50 and 19 of the top 100 players on Bleacher Report's final big board are receivers.

The 49ers will be on the clock with the No. 31 overall pick and they could probably get good value if they stood pat and took a wideout there. Trading up into the top 10, however, might put them in play for one of the three players largely considered to be in a class by themselves: Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington's Rome Odunze and LSU's Malik Nabers.

The WR1 spot in the 2024 NFL draft is hotly up for debate but not for one NFL coach.

An offensive assistant coach spoke to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and threw a heaping pile of praise behind LSU's Malik Nabers.

"It's Nabers and then there's a gap," the coach said. "He is the best wide receiver in the draft in a couple of years, maybe more. He is Tyreek Hill combined with both of those San Francisco guys (Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk). He is so explosive. He has a second gear. He can stop on a dime. He breaks tackles. You can't jam him because he's just too quick and if you miss at all, he's gonna outrun you. He's really competitive but he can be a pain in the ass. He'll be the guy who'll have something to say to the coordinator coming off the field. He's got that edge to him where he doesn't know when to let up. He doesn't know that those guys are on his side."

It's borderline impossible to find much higher praise than this. Hill is the premier speedster wideout in the NFL, while Aiyuk brings toughness and elite route running and Samuel's one of the sport's most versatile playmakers.

If the coach's assessment winds up being correct, Nabers will be not only the best receiver in the NFL now but arguably the best in league history. Jerry Rice didn't have Hill's top-end speed. Randy Moss didn't have the strength of Samuel or Aiyuk. Calvin Johnson is perhaps the only wideout in league history to possess all of those physical traits and combine it with production.

Of course, production at the wideout spot is highly dependent on quarterback situations. The Arizona Cardinals (Kyler Murray) and Los Angeles Chargers (Justin Herbert) have star quarterbacks in place who could help Nabers thrive. The New York Giants, who have also been linked to wideouts in this class, have one of the NFL's worst quarterback rooms.

When we look back on this draft class years down the line, situational drafting may play the biggest difference in which wideout turns out the best.

The B/R Scouting Department ranks Nabers as the third-best receiver and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2024 class.

If you were a fan of Netflix's Quarterback series, then you'll surely want to tune into the streaming service's latest NFL series.

Netflix announced its latest sports venture, Receiver, on Tuesday.

Receiver follows five of the NFL's top pass-catchers from the 2023 season—Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The series, which will include eight 45-minute episodes, is being produced by NFL Films, Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and Patrick Mahomes' 2PM Productions.

"We are excited to be working again with Netflix and NFL Films to give fans unprecedented access to what it's like to play receiver at the highest level," Manning said. "As we did with Quarterback, we look forward to telling the stories of five incredible receivers, each with their unique personality, skill set and motivation for what drives them to be the best."

Receiver will debut in summer 2024.

Of the five receivers included in the series, St. Brown had the most impressive 2023 season, catching 119 passes for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games for the Lions, who won the NFC North for the first time since the 1993 campaign and made the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.

Adams, a six-time Pro Bowler, caught 103 passes for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games for a Raiders squad that finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

Jefferson, the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, was limited to 10 games due to a hamstring injury, but he still managed to catch 68 passes for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns, which is nothing short of impressive. The Vikings finished 7-10 and missed the postseason amid an injury-riddled campaign, which included Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles.

Kittle and Samuel suited up for the 12-5 49ers, who fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Kittle caught 65 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games, and Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.

Samuel is one of the most entertaining wide receivers in the NFL as he's also capable of working out of the backfield. He rushed for 225 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta strongly refuted a recent report stating the team inquired about trading for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel by making a comparison to The Lorax, a Dr. Seuss book.

DeCosta was referencing a report from NFL insider Jason La Canfora, who made the connection between Baltimore and Samuel but said that it's not happening, "at least for now."

La Canfora fired back at DeCosta after he compared the report to The Lorax, a work of fiction in which a furry, orange creature (The Lorax) defends the destruction of a forest from an evil businessman, Once-ler.

The Ravens should be in the market for a wideout (either via free agency, trade or the draft) after parting ways with Odell Beckham Jr.

The Ravens still have pass-catching threats led by breakout rookie wideout Zay Flowers and star tight end Mark Andrews, but the team could still use more production at wide receiver.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have serious salary cap issues. Per Over the Cap, the team is bottom three in the league in effective cap space (-$7.2 million). The Niners already parted ways with defensive lineman Arik Armstead as a result.

Samuel carries a $28.6 million cap hit in 2024, but Grant Cohn of All 49ers noted that a trade would lead to the 49ers incurring more than $21 million in dead money.

Samuel was one of the NFL's most productive and versatile players in 2021, a year in which he amassed 1,770 total yards and 14 scores. The wide receiver hasn't been close to that form since, although he's also battled injuries that have kept him out for numerous games. He did contribute well for the 49ers last year with 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

Based on DeCosta's comments, Samuel doesn't appear likely to become a Raven. For now, he remains a 49er as the defending NFC champions look to rebound from a tough end to the season.

San Francisco 49ers star wideout Deebo Samuel announced on Instagram Tuesday that he's changing his number from 19 to the No. 1 he wore in college for South Carolina.

The 49ers confirmed the jersey change shortly thereafter:

Samuel said last year that he wanted to make the change to the No. 1 jersey, but the NFL requires players to buy the remaining inventory of their uniforms that still feature their old numbers, and at retail prices, if they want to change numbers. That makes it a pretty costly decision.

Given that Samuel is a star player and likely has a fairly in-demand jersey, he would have been required to buy back a larger inventory of uniforms than less well-known players a year ago. Had he changed teams, however, he could have changed numbers free of charge since entirely new uniforms would have been made.

This year, he likely gave enough advance notice to change uniform numbers—presumably before the new league year begins on Wednesday—that he shouldn't be on the hook financially for his back inventory:

Samuel has flirted with changing numbers on multiple occasions. He also posted back in 2021 that he wanted to switch uniforms, though a few months later announced that he would be sticking with No. 19.

With No. 1 in place, Samuel will look to build on a strong 2023, albeit one in which he battled through injuries yet again. In total, he registered 60 catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 225 rushing yards and another five scores.

He helped the team reach the Super Bowl despite a somewhat muted postseason, with 161 yards from scrimmage across four games and no scores, and the Niners ultimately came up short against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

They'll be among the favorites heading into the 2024 season, however, and Samuel will have himself a new look.

San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final year of his rookie contract and had an interesting answer for reporters back in February when asked if he planned to remain with the team.

"If that's the right move, yeah," he said, adding that the right move would be "being a champion."

That opened up speculation and eventually rumors that he could potentially be a trade option for the Niners this offseason if the two sides don't lock down a long-term extension, though his teammate, Deebo Samuel, believes he'll return to the team.

"Yeah, I love that guy," he said during Wednesday's Up and Adams show (9:00 mark). "I don't see him leaving, though. I don't see him leaving."

"If you look at his numbers from when he got to the league and now, it's always a different type of leap," he continued. "And so, like I told him, I said, 'Hey, man, you put yourself in a position to be where you want to be.' He's up for a new deal and things like that. And I just told him, because I've been through it, it's not going to be all fine and dandy like you think it's going to be. You've got to stay the course."

Aiyuk, 25, had a career year in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven scores. He's emerged as one of the league's top weapons at wide receiver, and the Niners are a nightmare for opposing defenses with him, Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.

For now, however, Aiyuk's future with the team seems to be in some doubt.

Nearly two weeks removed from their 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58, the San Francisco 49ers are still processing their feelings after being so close to reaching the top of the mountain.

Speaking to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel called the loss "one of the biggest heartbreaks you can deal with."

Samuel explained the feeling of that defeat "would go away then it hit me again and it's just like it don't even feel real."

The 49ers have been so close to winning the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1994 season several times in recent years. They lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 after the 2019 season.

After being decimated by injuries in 2020 that kept them out of the playoffs, the 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They lost both times on the road.

This season saw the 49ers secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. They were able to get by tough tests from the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to reach the Super Bowl for the second time in five years.

San Francisco played a better game against the Chiefs than in either of the previous two games against NFC opponents, but it still wasn't good enough to come out on top.

The 49ers have blown double-digit leads in three of their last four playoff losses, including two in the fourth quarter. They were up 20-10 over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 before getting outscored 21-0 in the final seven minutes.

They had a 17-7 lead in the 2021 NFC Championship Game, but the Los Angeles Rams scored the final 13 points of the game.

Super Bowl 58 saw the 49ers take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. They went ahead by three points with 1:53 remaining in regulation on Jake Moody's 53-yard field goal, but Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs down for the game-tying field goal in the final seconds to force overtime.

San Francisco scored on the opening possession of overtime, but the offense had to settle for a field goal after driving inside Kansas City's 10-yard line. The Chiefs responded with a 13-play drive that ended with Mahomes' three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman for the win.