There are other fish in the sea.
If the New York Jets are unable to land Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams via trade, they could pivot to a different pass catcher.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report proposed several “absurd” trade ideas that NFL teams should be “exploring instead of [a] Davante Adams move.”
New York Jets receive: wide receiver Deebo Samuel
San Francisco 49ers receive: a 2025 third-round draft choice
“If the Jets are truly all-in, they might as well pursue Davante Adams. But a home-run swing of a backup plan would be Samuel, who built his reputation on being dynamic in the open field. Rodgers isn’t thriving on downfield passes anymore, so an elusive playmaker could be a much-needed boost. Samuel may benefit from the ol’ change of scenery, too,” Kenyon explained. “New York could send one of its two 2025 third-round selections to San Francisco, which might be fine without Samuel as long as veterans [Brandon] Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings produce and rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall develops.”
Jets Nearly Landed Samuel in an Old Trade With the 49ers
In the lead-up to the 2022 NFL draft, the Jets were hot and heavy after a big-name wide receiver.
Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel were two of the top names the Jets had circled. Hill chose the Miami Dolphins over the Jets. Gang Green tried to make a move, but San Francisco rejected them.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Jets offered a trade package to the 49ers for Samuel that included the No. 10 overall pick in the first round back in 2022.
They said no and the Jets decided to stick and pick. Gang Green ended up with Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State. Funny how things work out.
Fast forward two years later and the Jets, at least in this trade proposal, can land Samuel for a fraction of the price that it would have cost them two years earlier.
The green and white have an extra third-round pick because of their draft-day deal with the Detroit Lions back in April.
Jets Rookie Has Failed to Live up to Lofty Expectations
Once again the Samuel trade rumors were sparked this offseason. The Jets were seeking a reliable Robin to Garrett Wilson’s Batman which led some people to believe Samuel could be that guy.
However, the team ended up going the draft route trading up for Malachi Corley out of Western Kentucky. He was labeled “Deebo Samuel 2.0” with his stocky build and ability to break tackles.
In theory, they got a player with the same kind of abilities at a fraction of the cost financially.
Despite the hype, Corley has only caught one pass this season for four receiving yards. Perhaps the Samuel comps were a little too rich for the young man. However, it’s hard to make any determination about Corley because we just haven’t seen him play.
There must be a reason the Jets refuse to play him, but regardless the green and white need to find another solution at the wide receiver position.
If Samuel can be had for a measly third-round pick, it might not be a bad backup plan just in case the Adams trade talks stall with the Raiders.
