Drafting WR Ricky Pearsall late in the first round is a move for the 49ers’ future. But will it keep Aiyuk or Samuel from being part of the present?
If it’s the first round of the NFL draft, it’s safe to expect a little drama from the Bay Area. In 2021, it was the Mac Jones vs. Trey Lance debate, with a draft-day rumor of selling the farm for Aaron Rodgers thrown in. In 2022, Jimmy Garoppolo and Deebo Samuel were reportedly on the trade block, though neither was dealt. The 49ers are, almost always, rumored to be trading for or away some player or another.
“Why,” general manager John Lynch said Thursday night after the first round, asked about the rumors swirling around his team, “is it always us?”
In the case of this year’s draft, the 49ers are in the spotlight because of the dynamics in their wide receiver room, which really boils down to a decision between the present and the future. On Thursday, despite rumors flying that the 49ers were fielding trade calls about one or both of their star receivers, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, both stayed put. But with the 31st pick, the 49ers drafted another wide receiver, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, which didn’t exactly end the speculation that either Samuel or Aiyuk would be on the move soon.
“Never close the door on a trade,” Lynch said. “I mean, we’ll always listen and we have. But we like our group as it stands.”
Before Thursday, Aiyuk seemed the more likely option to be dealt. The 26-year-old versatile receiver is seeking a major extension as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. The books are becoming challenging for the 49ers, who are first in cap spending already this year because of previous big deals for left tackle Trent Williams, Samuel, and defensive ends Arik Armstead (who has since been cut) and Nick Bosa. Next offseason, when quarterback Brock Purdy becomes eligible for a new contract, San Francisco will have to make a decision about its future spending at that position, as well. Given that an extension for Aiyuk would be challenging financially, that his age and contract status suggest he could command more in trade compensation than Samuel, and the fact that he had reportedly requested a trade, unfollowed the 49ers on social platforms, and flirted with the Patriots by following them and changing his avatar to a picture of Tom Brady, he seemed like the one.
In one sense, the 49ers’ behavior on Thursday still indicates that Aiyuk might be the receiver they move. Pearsall, an inside receiver who seems like a good fit for the short and intermediate routes that make up so much of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, is a much closer fit to Aiyuk’s role than Samuel’s, though of course the swap does not need to be one-to-one. That said, Shanahan told reporters he wasn’t expecting an Aiyuk trade on Thursday, and that he believes one seems even less likely later on in the draft.
“So, I mean, you listen to everything. Everything’s about trying to improve our team as much as we can for 2024 without jeopardizing 2025 as much as possible,” Shanahan said. “So, that’s everything you look into and whenever that opportunity comes, whichever way, if you can improve your team, you do that. It’s hard to picture improving your team, though, without him.”
Also on Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Samuel is now the more likely player to be dealt. The logical explanation for the switch has to do with what teams are willing to give up—a first-round pick would have been a reasonable asking price for Aiyuk, and it’s fair to wonder whether San Francisco would accept less, especially now that the first round of this draft has passed. According to The Athletic, Lynch and his staff were working the phones before and during the first round and had conversations about a receiver trade with multiple teams, including one picking in the top 10, but didn’t get one done. (Lynch said they never got close.) According to the Chronicle, the asking price for Samuel, given that he’s two years older than Aiyuk and has taken more than his fair share of hits, is a second- and a third-rounder. If the 49ers want compensation they can use this year, they’d either have to lower their asking price for Aiyuk, or think about trading Samuel before day two begins Friday evening.
The other possibility is that the 49ers simply do nothing at all. This is a roster that took the Chiefs to overtime in the Super Bowl three months ago. With Purdy still on his rookie deal, this is the time to go all in, not to trade away talent. The hits may be piling up for Samuel, who is 28, but he is still a critical piece of the 49ers’ attack, and the team went on a three-game losing streak while he was injured last October. While the 49ers would generate $6.8 million in cap space by trading him, they would also take on a dead cap hit of $21.7 million.
Wide receivers also have a notoriously difficult time picking up the nuances of Shanahan’s offense—and avoiding his famous doghouse—so Pearsall may not be a major contributor right away. Aiyuk, for example, had just 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie in 2020.
“I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with [Aiyuk] and we are really efforting to get something done with him,” Lynch said. “And we’re excited about continuing down that path. And Brandon being a part of this team. Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team. So, like I said, we feel great about that group and we feel like we just made it better with another really good addition to it who complements the group real well.”
If the 49ers do make a trade during the draft, look to the AFC East for possible partners. The Patriots were reportedly in on some of the calls to San Francisco’s war room on Thursday night and, after missing out on Calvin Ridley in free agency and using their first-round pick on quarterback Drake Maye, are still in need of quality receivers. The Bills, too, are still looking for a receiver, after trading Stefon Diggs earlier this month and trading out of the first round on Thursday, and control the top selection of day two.
The good news for the 49ers is that, despite this latest round of drama, Aiyuk seems copacetic. He called Pearsall, a former teammate at ASU in 2019, to offer congratulations shortly after the 49ers made the pick. And he texted his support to Shanahan and Lynch, as well.
“Fire pick, can’t lie,” read the message.
It remains to be seen if Aiyuk—and Samuel—will still be in approval after the draft. The 49ers have thrived during the Shanahan era by surrounding their quarterbacks with an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions and, after coming so close in the Super Bowl, the last cheap year of Purdy’s deal seems like an odd time to start thinking long-term. As Shanahan has reminded us time and again, tomorrows are never guaranteed. Still, the bills are coming due.
“Everything’s always on the table,” Shanahan said.
Stay messy, 49ers.