Lynch: 49ers trading away All-Pro Deebo would be foolish

WALNUT CREEK -- General manager John Lynch drew robust applause from a crowd of 49ers fans on Wednesday night with his answer to questions about Deebo Samuel.

Lynch said Samuel is not going anywhere -- anytime soon.

Samuel expressed some level of discontent with the 49ers this offseason and requested a trade before the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers listened to trade proposals for the versatile All-Pro wide receiver but were never tempted to make a deal.

“We all know what we have,” Lynch said during a Q&A session at the annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series. “Some things have transpired. We’ll remain consistent that the conversations that we have stay private because I think they deserve to be. I think we’ll be fine there, though. And I’m excited to have Deebo a part of us moving forward.”

When asked if Samuel will remain with the team this season, Lynch offered a definitive answer.

“Well, we haven’t traded him. I’ve used the word ‘fool.’ I’d be a fool to trade him,” Lynch said.

“And, so, yes. He’ll be a part of the 49ers.”

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Then, becomes the matter of working out a new contract for Samuel to compensate him more in line with the top tier of NFL wide receivers.

Samuel is currently scheduled to make nearly $4 million for the upcoming season. The market rate for Samuel is from five to six times that amount.

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Lynch said Samuel checks all the boxes and embodies his vision for the kind of players he wants to wear a 49ers uniform.

“Deebo’s a tremendous, tremendous football player,” Lynch said.

“He tells me as a kid, his dad said, ‘Every time you touch the ball, you score.’ And I really think Deebo believes that, that he should (score) every time. Some guys say that, I see that when I watch Deebo.”

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