Trade grades for Deebo Samuel deal between Commanders and 49ers

We have our first major move of the 2025 NFL offseason.

While the deal cannot become official until the league year begins on March 12, the San Francisco 49ers have traded standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Samuel, who was entering the final year of his contract, requested a trade from the 49ers earlier this offseason, and now the organization has granted his wish.

Is this one of those trades where both sides can declare a victory, or does this deal have a clear winner?

Washington Commanders: A-

Yes, Samuel did not produce at his usual level last season — a stint in the hospital for pneumonia might have played a role there — and the money is big.

But this is exactly the time for Washington to take a big swing on a player who might be an ideal fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. With the Commanders coming off a dream run to the NFC Championship Game, and Washington holding the third-most cap space in the NFL, they can take shots on a move like this and maximize Jayden Daniels’ rookie contract window. Add a vertical threat in the draft (this is another solid crop of receivers and Matthew Golden has been a favorite target for Washington in mock drafts) and suddenly this passing game has a lot of added juice.

Plus, giving up just a fifth-round pick is not a big price to pay, even with the contract.

San Francisco 49ers: B-

This is a bit tougher to grade from the 49ers’ perspective.

The return is not great, and the money is interesting. Making this deal before June 1 means that San Francisco is going to incur $31 million in dead cap, and take a cap hit of $15 million, according to Over the Cap. Had San Francisco waited on this deal, those numbers would have dropped to $10 million in dead cap, and a cap savings of $5 million.

But with Samuel due a $15.4 million roster bonus on March 22, San Francisco had some reasons to make a move before then.

With Samuel publicly requesting a trade, entering the final year of his contract, and coming off a down season the return was never going to be massive for San Francisco. Still, Washington is taking on the remainder of his contract and paying his 2025 salary, so the 49ers get some relief in that way.

Furthermore, the 49ers do get a fifth-round pick in return, something they can add to their draft capital for this year and use to help build their roster for 2025 and beyond. San Francisco may look to try and add to their wide receiver room, given that Brandon Aiyuk is coming back from a knee injury, Jauan Jennings is entering the final year of his current deal, and Ricky Pearsall is hoping to build off some early promise he showed as a rookie.

49ers fans might have been hoping for more, but the return is probably in line with what the organization could have asked for, given the bigger context.