WALNUT CREEK – General Manager John Lynch received a standing ovation from a crowd of 49ers fans Wednesday night for answering questions regarding Deebo Samuel.
Lynch said Samuel isn’t going anywhere — anytime soon.
Samuel has expressed a certain level of dissatisfaction with the 49ers in this off-season and asked for a trade ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers listened to commercial offers of the versatile All-Pro wide receiver but were never inclined to cut a deal.
“We all know what we’ve got,” Lynch said during a question-and-answer session on the annual Dwight Clark Legacy series. “A few things have happened. We’ll stay consistent that the conversations we have are kept confidential because I think they deserve to be that. I think we’ll be fine there, though. And I’m excited to have Debo be a part of us moving forward.”
When asked if Samuel will stay with the team this season, Lynch gave a definitive answer.
“Well, we didn’t trade it. I used the word ‘idiot.’ I would be an idiot if I traded it,” Lynch said.
“So, yes. He will be part of the 49ers.”
Then, it becomes a matter of concluding a new contract for Samuel to compensate him further in line with the higher level of NFL’s wide receivers.
Samuel is currently set to make close to $4 million for the next season. The market price for Samuel is five to six times that amount.
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Lynch said Samuel checks all the boxes and embodies his vision of the kind of players he wants to wear the 49ers uniform.
“Deppo is an amazing, fantastic footballer,” Lynch said.
“He told me when I was a kid, his dad said, ‘Every time you touch the ball, you score.’ And I really think Debo believes that, that he has to score every time. Some guys say that, I see it when I watch Depo.”
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