In the evening on Mar. 1, the Commanders struck a deal with the San Francisco 49ers to land star receiver Deebo Samuel in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

A few weeks ago, Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers for the second offseason in a row. This time, San Francisco granted him permission to seek a trade. The 49ers are having cap space problems and have a lot of key pieces to resign in the next two years. Deebo’s three-year, 71.5 million dollar contract was putting a dent in those plans.

The Commanders have been talking about adding a second star receiver to compliment Terry McLaurin. With the third most cap space in the NFL, they can afford to take on Samuel’s hefty contract. Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, now has a new weapon.

Samuel had one of his least productive years last season with just over 800 total yards in 15 games. There is still life in the 29-year-old who looks to replicate his 2021 season when he had over 1,400 yards receiving and another 350+ on the ground. Samuel not getting back to that level is possible, but for a fifth-round pick the Commanders are willing to take that risk.

Feature Image via si.com