New England also has a glaring need for a No. 1 wide receiver — yes, even after trading with the Dolphins for DeVante Parker — to the point where there’s been debate as to whether the Pats will use the 21st overall pick in the 2022 draft on that position.
Another absolutely logical destination would be New York, the Jets specifically.
Think about it.
There’s a 49ers connection there with Jets head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur both being former San Francisco assistants, and the Jets also have a screaming need for a No. 1 wide receiver, which is why they made a push to acquire Hill before the Chiefs sent him to Miami.
Oh, and the Jets have a lot of draft capital with which to work, including two first-round picks in 2022.
Samuel would represent a great consolation prize for the Jets.
Based on odds from BetOnline, the Jets are the second-most likely destination for Samuel if he gets traded at 5/1 behind only Indianapolis at 9/2. New England is tied for 11th at 16/1.
If Samuel does get traded, and he gets traded to New England or to the Jets, then Mike McDaniel will be seeing his former player again on a regular basis. Only this time he’d have to figure out a way to try to contain him.
That would be the negative side of a potential Samuel trade.
Samuel and the What-If Scenario
Because they gave up five draft picks to land Hill and because they already have a lot of money and draft capital invested at wide receiver, it’s again next to impossible to envision the Dolphins making a move for Samuel if the 49ers decide to grant him his wish.
But one can’t help but wonder how things would have played out had Samuel made his request a month — or before the Dolphins traded for Hill, to be precise.
McDaniel’s familiarity with Samuel no doubt would have made acquiring him appealing and the price tag — both in terms of trade compensation and new contract — likely would have been more palatable.
But Samuel is coming off his first huge season in the NFL, while Hill has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times in six years as a pro. And the age difference (Hill is 28, Samuel is 26) isn’t big enough to make up for that.
Another issue that has surfaced involving Samuel is his reported desire to be used as a pure wide receiver from now on, as opposed to a hybrid player. While that no doubt will help his NFL longevity, it also takes away from what makes him special.
Regardless, while we’ll never know, one would think Hill still would have been the choice even had Samuel been available back then.
Based again on BetOnline, we’re not alone in our view here because 16 teams were listed with odds of becoming Samuel’s next team — and the Dolphins were not one of them.
