The NFL Draft always brings chaos, but this year it feels even crazier than usual.

Double-digit teams are trying to move up in the first round as franchise quarterbacks and game-changing wide receivers headline this year's class.

While on Thursday one NFC West team, the Los Angeles Rams, was reported to be looking to advance to the first round, The Athletic's Diana Russini now reported that a second team in that league is interested in advancing – and that is the case They're taking calls on two of their best players.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers line up during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers…
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers face off during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 11 at Levi's Stadium on , 2022 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers are reportedly fielding calls on Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk to move up in the draft.
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Russini reports that the San Francisco 49ers are interested in moving up in the first round and have had discussions with teams around All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the dominant Brandon Aiyuk.

According to sources, the 49ers have had discussions with teams, including a pick in the top 10, about trading their prized wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel to move up in the first round.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 25, 2024

Aiyuk has been in the headlines all season, long after a trade request was reported. However, 49ers general manager John Lynch revealed that the team would like to keep him in San Francisco for the remainder of his career.

Aiyuk is having the best year of his young career in 2023. The former first-round pick caught 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season. This was followed by a 2022 season in which he set career highs with 78 catches and eight touchdowns and 1,015 yards.

However, Aiyuk is seeking a long-term deal, which is why he has made his name in trade talks this offseason.

As for Samuel, he has already received his long-term contract, although only after his own offseason full of drama and trade requests in 2022. He did, however, secure his big deal, a three-year, $71.5 million contract that runs through the next Season is underway.

If the 49ers were to trade Samuel on Thursday, they would pocket over $21 million in dead money, according to Over The Cap. As for Aiyuk, he's entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him just over $14 million, but he wants a long-term deal.

This year's class is full of wide receivers. So if the 49ers wanted to add one on a rookie deal, they would have their options.

The best receiver in this year's class is probably Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., but not far behind are LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze. Those are the “big three” and all would require the team to move up, probably to the top 10. After that, there are other great options like Texas' Adonai Mitchell, LSU's Brian Thomas Jr., Oregon's Troy Franklin and Florida's Keon Coleman from the State.

The 49ers currently have the No. 31 pick in the first round. But it sounds like they're aiming for a promotion, similar to what they did in 2020 when they got Aiyuk. In this draft, they moved up to No. 25 from the same No. 31.

Unusual knowledge

Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.

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Field Level Media

San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, hybrid receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Elijah Mitchell sat out practice on Wednesday as they nursed their respective injuries.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan, however, told reporters that he expects McCaffrey (calf), Samuel (ankle) and Mitchell (groin) to play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I expect them (to play), but there’s no guarantees,” Shanahan said on Wednesday. “Especially with it being an NFC Championship Game, I think there’s a better chance they’ll be ready since there’s nothing guaranteed after this. Hopefully, we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

Shanahan initially deemed McCaffrey and Mitchell as day-to-day on Monday, one day after the 49ers’ 19-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Shanahan also addressed the availability of defensive end Charles Omenihu (oblique) for Sunday’s game. Omenihu was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence on Monday after police were called to his home in San Jose, Calif.

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“We’ve looked into it for the last 24 hours or 48 hours, not necessarily myself but other people,” Shanahan said. “We feel very good letting the legal process take care of itself. Don’t feel we should kick him off our team at this time.”

The NFL confirmed that Omenihu will remain available and that the case will be reviewed down the line.

“The matter will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status,” the league’s statement said.

Omenihu, 25, has recorded career-best totals in tackles (20) and sacks (4.5) in 17 games (three starts) this season. He also had two sacks and a forced fumble in San Francisco’s 41-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round.

McCaffrey, 26, rushed for 746 yards and six touchdowns and caught 52 passes for 464 yards and four scores in 11 regular-season games for the 49ers after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers in mid-October. He was superb in the NFC wild-card round when he gained 119 yards on 15 carries and added a TD catch.

Mitchell, 24, was limited to five regular-season games due to two knee injuries — one to each knee — and had 279 yards and two touchdowns. He had just 2 yards on nine carries versus Seattle but had a touchdown grab among his two catches for 25 yards.

Samuel, 27, had 56 catches for 632 yards and two touchdowns and 42 carries for 232 yards and three scores in 13 games this season. He had six receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card game versus Seattle. –Field Level Media

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Nick WagonerESPN AuthorMay 9, 2023 6:00 am ET5 minutes read

Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel’s combined cap count is set to increase by just over $30 million next season as part of their current deals. Michael Owens/Getty Images

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch sold DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, he described it as the toughest decision he’d made since taking the job three years earlier .

Similar difficult scenarios have surfaced since, most recently with proper tackle Mike McGlinchey, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 draft. McGlinchey wanted to stay in San Francisco and the Niners wanted to keep him, but well before McGlinchey signed a five-year, 87.5 contract in March million dollars signed with the Denver Broncos, it was clear the teams were headed for a breakup.

At the heart of these decisions were the either-or choices between great players that most teams would love to have. In 2020, that meant Buckner was out as his defenseman Arik Armstead stayed on. This year, it was McGlinchey on the move because Williams signed a contract in 2021 that made him the highest-paid offensive tackle in the game. To a lesser extent, the 49ers opted to re-sign linebacker Dre Greenlaw rather than retain Azeez Al-Shaair.

All of this sets the table for what could be San Francisco’s next big contract dilemma: what to do with receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Given that Samuel signed a three-year, $71.55 million extension in August, it seems too early to discuss. But with Aiyuk eligible for an extension and coming off a season in which he, not Samuel or Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle, picked up the team, he’s well on his way to a big payday.

“That’s a good question,” Lynch said. “That’s a valid question because I understand the mindset. You can’t keep them all.”

That mindset, combined with the 49ers getting calls from teams interested in acquiring Aiyuk, was enough to make people wonder if the Niners could actually move him this year. The rumor mill worked so hard during draft week that Aiyuk, the #25 pick in the 2020 draft, had moments of doubt. On April 28, Aiyuk tweeted that he received a call from his agent who was “just chatting” but was worried it might be the call that was delivered to him.

While Lynch and Shanahan insist they will listen to everyone – they joke they’ll swap if the offer is good enough – they never planned on doing anything other than keeping Aiyuk for 2023.

The Niners kept Aiyuk and picked up his fifth-year rookie option before the May 1 deadline, which guarantees him a base salary of $14.124 million for the 2024 season if he doesn’t sign a renewal by then. Therein lies the predicament of the 49ers. Traditionally, they prefer not to sign first-round picks for an overtime until after their fourth season. That will happen later this summer with Nick Bosa, who is likely to become the league’s highest-paid defender once his deal is finalized.

If Aiyuk can build on the 78 catches, 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns he clinched in 2022, there’s a fair argument that he’s not only San Francisco’s best straight pass catcher, but also one of the league’s burgeoning receivers. With the cost of top wideouts rising, the Niners would theoretically have to choose between Samuel and Aiyuk.

That could happen eventually, but there’s also a way for the Niners to delay that decision for at least another year while they continue chasing their elusive sixth Lombardi trophy. Samuel’s salary cap for 2023 is an affordable $8.65 million, while Aiyuk’s is a little under $4 million. Their total increases from $12.65 million to a whopping $42,696,000 in 2024.

But under normal circumstances, most first-round picks who sign a lucrative long-term deal will have a more manageable first-year salary cap than if they had played with the fifth-year option. Samuel’s cap in 2022 after signing his renewal was $6.88 million and won’t drastically increase until 2024 ($28.5 million). That’s still a significant investment. But it’s not outrageous to think that the Niners could keep Samuel and Aiyuk together for a few more seasons by structuring an Aiyuk overtime to limit his short-term cap hits.

Regardless, the Niners view Aiyuk differently than players like Buckner and McGlinchey, largely due to their development as a franchise. The Niners made some of their earlier decisions to try to extend their Super Bowl window as long as possible. Your current choices are made to jump through this window before it closes.

“We’re trying to do something special this year and Brandon will be a big part of that and beyond,” Lynch said. “You always have to think a few years, but we’re really excited for Brandon. I feel like he took another big step last year and I think the best is yet to come and that’s why we want him to be a part of it.

“Right now and in the future, we’re really excited about Brandon Aiyuk and where he is as a professional.”

Another major factor in how this might play out: the Niners’ belief in quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy is expected to return to the starting role this season and beyond once he recovers from right elbow surgery. Purdy is not eligible for a contract extension until after the 2024 season and has cap hits of $889,253 and $1,004,253 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

That bargain price coincides with massive cap jumps for Kittle, Williams, and linebacker Fred Warner. It also goes a long way in helping the Niners afford to keep their core for at least two more seasons and sign high-profile free agent defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. And if Purdy delivers and earns a lucrative deal of its own, San Francisco has even more onerous decisions to make.

“That was the whole goal,” Shanahan said. “If we could get a quarterback on a rookie deal to play at a high, high, high enough level that we thought we could win with that, then we thought we could build our team.”

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The San Francisco 49ers entertained trade offers for All-Pro offensive gun Deebo Samuel in 2022 before making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players. A year later, there are new rumors about Samuel’s future in San Francisco.

After becoming one of the highest-paid wide receivers in football, Samuel endured an injury-riddled season last year. After earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, the 6-foot playmaker played in just 13 games and failed to eclipse even 1,000 scrimmage yards.

While injuries played a major role in the statistical decline, Samuel’s effectiveness also declined. After averaging 18.2 yards per reception and 6.2 yards per rush in 2021, he finished last season averaging 11.3 yards per reception and 5.5 yards per carry.

With San Francisco tight for Cap spot in the long run and Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk yet to sign for contract extensions, speculation over Samuel’s future with the 49ers has mounted

Also Read: Trey Lance Wasn’t As “Qualified” As The San Francisco 49ers Had Hoped

Addressing recent NFL trade rumors suggesting the New England Patriots are investigating Samuel, MMQB’s Albert Breer ended Thursday’s Early Edition speculation with Trenni Casey and Phil Perry.

“I checked with someone who would absolutely know and they said, ‘A) we’re not swapping him and B) they haven’t called. So, wherever this is, it hasn’t made its way to the Niners’ desks. It’s not something that was even on the table for her.”

Albert Breer on Deebo Samuel trade rumors (H/T NBC Sports Boston)

With San Francisco poised to start the season with Brock Purdy as quarterback, it can afford to spend big bucks on other positions. Purdy only carries a cap of $889,252 in 2023, and that number increases only slightly in 2024 ($1.004 million) and 2025 ($1.119 million).

As a result, there is less incentive to even consider moving Samueln unless the move is absolutely necessary. Given that the 49ers are still a perennial Super Bowl contender and Samuel plays a key role on Kyle Shanahan’s offense, there’s no reason to budge.

• Statistics from Deebo Samuel (2022): 864 scrimmage yards, five touchdowns in 13 games

It’s possible NFL teams could contact Brandon Aiyuk in hopes that San Francisco is willing to follow the same path it took by extending Arik Armstead and trading DeForest Buckner. For now, at least, any general manager hoping to take over Samuel will be out of luck.

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SAN FRANCISCO — Deebo Samuel, star wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers who caught more than 1,400 yards last season, has reportedly asked for a trade.

Samuel, 26, told ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington on Wednesday he asked the team to trade him. Samuel said he did not want to discuss his reasoning for the request.

Samuel, who played at South Carolina in college and was drafted in the second round by the 49ers in 2019, finished fifth in the league in receiving yards last season with 1,405 and added six touchdowns. He was one of the league’s most explosive players, notching nine catches of more than 40 yards, tied for the league lead.

A dynamic threat, Samuel also added 365 yards rushing last season and eight rushing touchdowns. Samuel finished 10th in the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

In his six career postseason games, Samuel caught 281 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 239 yards and a touchdown.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously reported that the 49ers wanted to pay Samuel, who is in the last year of his rookie contract. But Samuel, who skipped off-season workouts, removed the 49ers logos from his social media page and made it known he wanted to change teams.

“It’s not San Francisco not willing to do the deal, the 49ers are ready,” Schefter said at the time. “Deebo Samuel is the one who has put a halt to everything right now.”

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The offer was on the table.

The 49ers declined.

According to Ian Rapport of NFL Network, the Jets presented San Francisco with a trade package including the No. 10 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

New York’s offer also included a pick swap later on in this year’s draft, per Rapoport.

Samuel ended up staying put on Thursday night. It was Titans receiver AJ Brown, out of nowhere, that ended up changing teams. Tennessee dealt their star wideout to the Eagles in the midst of a wild first round, in exchange for the No. 18 pick and a third rounder.

Incidentally that third-round pick, no. 101 overall, ended up with the Jets. New York acquired the No. 26 and no. 101 picks from the Titans in a separate deal later on as the Jets sent three selections to Tennessee. New York used that five-pick deal to grab Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnsonwho was slipping deeper and deeper in the first round.

Even after Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers, reports from across the league made it seem like San Francisco was in no hurry to let him go. That doesn’t mean the Jets, and other teams, weren’t interested and actively looking to strike a deal for the playmaker.

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READ: Three Trade Proposals For Jets to Acquire San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel

Once the dust settled on the first round, Jets general manager Joe Douglas revealed that Samuel wasn’t an option when New York was on the clock.

“I’m not going to get into discussions,” Douglas told reporters. “I’ll say this. When we were on the clock at 10, we didn’t field any calls.”

Moving on from Samuel, and after months of trying to add an elite wideout to their receiver room, New York took Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson 10th overall. Wilson isn’t a proven commodity like Samuel, Brown or Tyreek Hill, but he flashed his potential in a Buckeyes uniform. Plus, he’s younger and cheaper than those other options, giving New York a real chance to build a strong aerial attack on offense that may stay intact for years to come.

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Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

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Hutchinson: Why trading Deebo Samuel could make sense for the 49ers

“An early first-round pick can provide a premium talent or an opportunity to trade back and acquire more picks. With Alex Mack’s future in question, they could move for the likes of Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, an elite edge prospect, or take an early swing at replacing Samuel with the various receiving prospects in this draft.

If Samuel doesn’t want to stick around and the right offer comes in, the 49ers could re-tool for very cheap and add a heap of talent that matches up with Lance’s timeline. As incredible as Samuel is, it’s an enticing thought.”

NFL insider: Jets likely preparing offer for Deebo Samuel that 49ers “can’t refuse”

“There have been rumors tonight that I cannot confirm that the Niners have told Deebo Samuel that he can seek a trade,” Pauline told Trey Wingo on Tuesday (h/t TheSFNiners). “I don’t know about that, but I know this: The feeling inside the league is the Niners are listening to offers for Deebo Samuel, and the Jets are going to put together such a massive package for Deebo Samuel that the Niners are not going to be able to turn away. Everyone says that Kyle Shanahan would like to keep Deebo Samuel, but again, the feeling is what the Jets will offer—as they said in The Godfather—the Jets are going to make the Niners an offer they can’t refuse.

Panthers remain possible post-draft trade option for Jimmy G

“We’ll evaluate the whole landscape to see what’s out there,” Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said Tuesday during a press briefing. “We’ll talk directly to different teams. We’re not just sitting here looking solely at the draft. We’re looking at every option.”

Why last-second draft deal likely only scenario 49ers trade Deebo

“Expect Samuel to remain a 49er past this weekend. But if a deal is to be made, it likely will be an on-the-clock blockbuster Thursday night. There’s no logical reason for it to happen at another time.”

Kyle Brandt explains why 49ers QB Trey Lance is the most pivotal player in the NFL

“So I just feel like the pendulum on Trey Lance, it dictates so much. If he’s got it, look the hell out. And I think we’ll know early. I think we’ll know in Week 2, Week 1 about, ‘Uh oh, I think maybe this guy should have stayed on the shelf another year.

A lot of great players. A lot of below-average players. I can’t think of one who’s going to swing more influence, and more wins and losses, and is more of a mystery than that dude, the second-year guy for the Niners.”

Barrows: 49ers draft options if they trade Deebo Samuel for a haul of early picks (paywall)

“But let’s say, for the purpose of this exercise, the 49ers do trade him. Let’s say they conclude he truly doesn’t want to be in San Francisco and that the combination of adding draft picks plus removing a hefty contract extension from future salary caps is worth parting ways.

Whom could the 49ers draft in that scenario? Let’s first take a look at their four biggest needs. Yes, they could stand to add a good tight end and they need more depth at running back and some other spots. But for the sake of this mockup, let’s narrow it down to four positions:”

49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo: I’ll be 100 percent by Week 1; Deebo Samuel is ‘different’

“I wish I could say I was [100 percent] now, but we’re working toward it,” Garoppolo said. “I think we’ll have a better idea down the road. We’ll get into summertime and start throwing, things like that. But, right now, we’re just trying to get back to the basics. Get this thing feeling right, get all the swelling out of there, things like that.”

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Given the magnitude of the league-rattling move the San Francisco 49ers made to get their quarterback of the future, it’s hard to call any offseason more critical than what they did in 2021.

But, in part because rookie signal-caller Trey Lance didn’t take over after the Niners traded up to No. 3 to draft him, this offseason is nearly as important. Many of the decisions coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and their staffs make this offseason will be geared towards helping Lance in 2022 when, presumably, he takes over as the long-term starter.

With that in mind, here’s a look at what the Niners must do to again be a Super Bowl contender.

Extensions for Bosa and Deebo

Much like in recent years with the likes of tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner, the Niners have two franchise centerpieces due for massive contract extensions: defensive end Nick Bosa and wide back Deebo Samuel. Also like Kittle and Warner, deals for both are unlikely to happen until late summer.

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Still, the Niners have planned for both.

“We fully understand these guys are pillars of what we’re trying to do here,” Lynch said. “We’ve been blessed that we’ve been aggressive, because we’ve had a lot of players that we believe are some of the best in the league at what they do. And these guys are no different. … I’ m sure that we’ll find a way to get that done. It’s been budgeted for.”

Get quarterback clarity ASAP

The idea that the Niners will again keep starter Jimmy Garoppolo is far-fetched, despite San Francisco’s efforts to publicly maintain that piece of leverage. Garoppolo, meanwhile, expects to be traded and would like a say in where he lands.

“I’ve got a long career ahead of me,” Garoppolo said. “I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win.”

There appears to be no shortage of recent playoff contenders in need of a quarterback. Pittsburgh, Washington, Denver, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Indianapolis are but a handful of the teams who could be in the Garoppolo market.

Ideally, a trade would come together sooner than later even though it can’t become official until the new league year opens March 16. That would give the Niners some certainty on how much cap space they have to negotiate with their free agents and make outside additions. It would also allow Garoppolo to help steer his destination before this year’s game of quarterback musical chairs stops.

It would also clear the decks for Lance to move ahead as the starter and give San Francisco a chance to find a capable veteran backup — Tyrod Taylor, perhaps? — in free agencies.

Settle the salary cap

As it stands, the Niners figure to enter the new league year roughly $10 million over the salary cap. They must be in cap compliance with their top 51 salaried players by March 16.

Getting the Garoppolo situation settled is the most important piece of the Niners’ offseason financial equation, as trading him would instantly save $25.55 million.

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Defensive end Dee Ford is another expected departure, though his situation is more complicated. Ford had a $4.6 million roster bonus fully guarantee on Feb. 15 because of injury, which means the Niners can save only $2.4 million by releasing him. That savings can only be realized by including a post-June 1 designation and can’t be used until after that date.

Which means the Niners, in addition to moving Garoppolo, will have to explore other avenues to create cap space. The most common way to do that would be with simple contract restructures (converting base salaries into signing bonuses that can be spread out over the remaining years on a contract). Kittle, defensive lineman Arik Armstead and free safety Jimmie Ward are among the targets for such a move, with the Niners able to save up to roughly $24 million by restructuring their contracts.

Doing all of those things could give the Niners about $40 million in cap space for 2022.

Keeping their own

Once again, the 49ers have a lengthy list — 33 players — set to hit some form of free agency. Among the scheduled unrestricted free agents are left guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerbacks Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams, defensive tackle DJ Jones, safety Jaquiski Tartt, defensive end Arden Key and running back Raheem Mostert. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair heads the group of restricted free agents.

Last year, when the pandemic kept the salary cap down and depressed the market, the Niners kept more free agents than expected. Similar factors could be at play this year but players like Tomlinson, Jones and Key should have plenty of suitors.

Keeping that trio should be the top priority, but even retaining two of the three would be considered a win.

Outside help on the offensive line and at cornerback

Depending on how much cap flexibility the Niners can create, what they’re budgeting for Samuel and Bosa and which free agents they can keep, they also should be seeking help at cornerback and on the interior of the offensive line. Perhaps they’ll have to wait until the NFL draft for such reinforcement, and with three picks on Day 2 (but none in the first round) they have the resources to continue adding at those spots.

If they can figure out a way to make it work, adding a difference-maker at cornerback in free agency could vault the Niners’ defense into one of the league’s best. That doesn’t mean they have to spend the type of money that will go to a top free agent such as New England’s JC Jackson or Tampa Bay’s Carlton Davis if either hits the open market. But a proven veteran who will be pricey but not bank-breaking on a shorter deal (think Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore) would make a lot of sense.

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New Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel quickly ascended to his first NFL head coaching job. And Peter King wrote in Football Morning in America that McDaniel owes some of that success to the leap made by Deebo Samuel.

“The story of the new Miami Dolphins coach is actually a story about Deebo Samuel,” King wrote. “How McDaniel, the 5-9, 165-pound former Yale wide receiver, climbed the ladder from unpaid coaching staff intern/gopher in Denver in 2005 to the exclusive 32-coach fraternity is instructive. In fact, it says everything about McDaniel, who looks far more like a Geico account executive than one of 32 NFL leaders of men.”

McDaniel took the story from there.

“So,” McDaniel began, “Deebo. we [the 49ers coaching staff] had him on our team at the Senior Bowl the January before we got to the Super Bowl. We had a saying: From Mobile to Miami, because the Super Bowl was in Miami that year, with our players. And we actually did it. He started calling me his favorite coach then. I don’t really know why. We were always close and whatever.

“This past season, I had a talk with him in the offseason. I was meeting with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo at 6 am every day during training camp because we needed them to step up. I asked Deebo, ‘Are you the best player on the offense?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘The time is now. Do you really want to be great? Greatness is hard. That’s why it’s great. It’s not easy. It’s a burden, really.'”

Samuel fared well with that burden, putting up a career year and turning into one of the NFL’s most dangerous all-purpose threats. He caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, all of which would have been enough for a terrific season, except that he also added 59 carries for 365 yards (6.2 yards per rush) and eight scores on the ground.

McDaniel said on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that he hopes to tap into similar potential in Dolphins wideout and former Alabama star Jaylen Waddle.

Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today.

“Waddle!” McDaniel said, when asked which player other than quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that he could get the most out of. “I just talked with him on Monday, and I think he understands his leadership role on this team. He’s a phenomenal talent, and guess what, the best and easiest way to get yards is give it to a really talented player. The 49ers, the last four or five years, have led the league in YAC. The reason is because we were addicted to getting our skill position players that are good with running the ball the ball. So yes, I would start him in fantasy. Beyond that, I think you should see some jumps in the Miami Dolphins’ offense next year. What those look like will be determined this offseason and the way the players work and attack things moving forward.”

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Every once in a while a player comes along who redefines their position.

We’ve seen positionless defensive players, hybrid safety-linebacker types. We’ve seen corners who can play in the slot or happily kick out to the boundary. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the rise of the polar bears, tight ends as adept at mauling fools in the run-game as they are running down the field as their team’s finest receiver.

And yet, as a football collective, we’ve waited for the unicorn: The running back-wide receiver. There have been flashes. The spread revolution gave rise to tweener players, those who could align in the backfield as a running back or wriggle out to the slot (or wider) to catch passes. Getting the ball to your best athletes in space became the doctrine of offensive football.

In the college ranks, the likes of Tavon Austin and Percy Harvin embraced football’s move from a tough, between-the-tackles, thumping sport to one based on the principles of pace and space.

But in the NFL, coaches have always favored specialists over the hybrids. They didn’t need a receiver to line up at running back – they had a world-class running back to do that. They didn’t need a running back to flex out as the outermost receiver, they had all the elite receivers they could handle. These were professionals, masters of their craft; there was no time for split duty.

In Deebo Samuel, the unicorn has finally arrived. Samuel is the San Francisco 49ers’ best running back and the team’s best receiver. He may be the finest running back and the finest receiver in the league, at least in terms of efficiency and explosiveness. If he’s not, he’s as near as makes no difference.

There is a childlike glee to Samuel’s brilliance. To watch him is to see an athlete who is stronger and faster than the 21 other human beings on the field – and those 21 humans are among the strongest and fastest athletes on the planet. Samuel brings intricacy for the nerds and loud highlights for when you just want to see cool athletes doing the coolest things. With the ball in his hands, he’s a leaning, bobbing, weaving, stop-on-a-dime phantom.

The Niners offense now revolves around finding an ever-increasing number of ways to get the ball to Samuel, or leveraging his threat into easy yards for everyone else.

Smart teams have always sought crossover skillsets. During the heyday of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Patriots, the team would bring in a back whose receiving chops outdid their running skills. They would move that player around to identify mismatches. But that was the player’s value – as a moving chess piece that helped Brady identify coverages more than as an individual runner or receiver. Their flexibility was a big percentage of their overall value. It was about what they did without the ball as much as what they did with it.

With Samuel, it’s about how he damages defenses when the ball winds up in his hands, no matter his starting position.

So far this season, he has played 555 snaps split out as the outermost wide receiver, 222 in the slot, eight as an in-line ‘tight end’, and 93 as a running back. The trend of moving him around on a snap-to-snap basis is relatively new, though. As recently as Week 9, Samuel had played only seven snaps lined up in the backfield all season. Since then, he’s averaged nine snaps in the backfield per game (21% of his snaps). The past two games – the do or die game against the Rams in Week 18 and the playoff matchup with the Cowboys – represent the only times this season he’s taken more snaps as a running back than as a slot receiver, the position from which Kyle Shanahan typically initiates all the fun and games in his offense.

Of course, lining up in a bunch of spots in and of itself is no great skill. It doesn’t matter where you align, or in how many spots, if you stink at most or all of them. And that’s where Samuel breaks the convention: He’s the best at everything he does.

His output is jarring: 1,770 total yards, at an average of 13 yards per touch, with 14 touchdowns tackled for good measure. He’s a walking first down; a human touchdown.

If you’re into the fancier metrics you’ll know Samuel holds something of a monopoly over all of the league’s key categories, be it as a back or receiver. He led the NFL in the regular season in yards per reception. He’s averaging more than 10 yards after the catch per reception. To put that in context, no other receiver broke the seven-yard barrier during the regular season.

If that’s not enough, Samuel leads the league in yards per route run on targets of 20-yards or more down the field. That’s comfortably ahead of Ja’Marr Chase. It’s streaks ahead of Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Tyreek Hill.

The numbers keep coming. Samuel finished second in the league in yards after contact per attempt. He finished second in the league in ‘breakaway’, which measures the percentage of a player’s rushing yards that come on runs of 15-yards or more. You have to go all the way down to [rubs fake glasses, squints a little] 60th on the list to find the next non-running back. There is not another wide receiver in the top 200.

He also happens to lead the league in the Guardian’s own Holy Bleep Is That Possible Should That Be Allowed Is That Even Fair metric.

Players of Samuel’s ilk used to be interesting footnotes and quirks. There are players now sprinkled around the league who take snaps in the backfield and outside as a receiver on a semi-consistent basis. Cordarrelle Patterson had a late-career resurgence in Atlanta this season. Curtis Samuel has filled a similar role in Carolina and Washington. Rondale Moore moves all over the shop in Arizona. In Buffalo, the Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie is able to nudge close to Samuel’s output.

Yet Samuel is the only multi-positional weapon assuming the creative pulse of a playoff offense. He is the only one piloting a championship contender, helping to elevate a flawed quarterback – by way of an outstanding offensive line. He is the only one who runs the ball with a battering-ram style, then breaks out in ballet when asked to run routes.

It is tempting to paint Samuel as the first of a new kind of positionless player. But to do so would be to understate the absurdity of his season and talent. Samuel hasn’t pushed up against the idea of ​​positional designations but fractured them altogether. There are running backs, there are receivers, there are hybrids, and then there is Deebo Samuel.

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