At first glance, the Baltimore Ravens may not seem like the most likely landing spot for star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. But they aren’t a team that should be overlooked either.
Amidst rumors that Samuel has requested a trade and is looking to force his way out of San Francisco, the Ravens should be one of many teams keeping a close eye on his situation.
No, the Ravens aren’t nearly as desperate to add a wide receiver as they have been in the past, but the possibility is there to acquire a young star wide receiver. At the very least, they should be monitoring the situation.
That said, what might it cost to land Samuel in Baltimore? What does a hypothetical trade package look like?
What would the Ravens have to give up to trade for Deebo Samuel?
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently ranked the Ravens as one of the most logical landing spots for Samuel, and in doing so, he ran through one possible scenario that could see him make the move to Baltimore.
Davenport suggested that the Ravens could package their top two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft (picks 14 and 45) for the All-Pro wide receiver. That’s certainly a lot of draft capital, but Samuel is a special player.
The 26-year-old is coming off a career year that saw him finish with 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns. Samuel led the NFL with 18.2 yards per reception while also adding 365 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
There’s no doubt that adding a player like Samuel to the Ravens’ offense could help that unit become one of the best in the NFL again in 2022, but is the hefty price tag worth it?
The Ravens do still have to worry about extending Lamar Jackson, and paying Samuel $25 million or more a year would make that process difficult. It also might spell the inevitable end of Marquise Brown in Baltimore once his rookie deal expires.
As for the draft capital, trading away both of their top picks would hinder their ability to address other key needs in the draft, but the Ravens could always move back up given their overabundance of mid-round picks.
It’s an interesting proposal, one the Ravens might have to think hard about if it were on the table. Regardless, this is a situation to monitor.
Watching Deebo Samuel in this Ravens offense is a pipedream that maybe, just maybe, could become a reality.