3 hypothetical Ravens trade packages for WR Deebo Samuel

3. Ravens trade Marquise Brown to the 49ers for Deebo Samuel

This one is the most creative on this list. There’s no indication that the Ravens would be willing to move Marquise Brown to acquire Deebo Samuel, but it’s worth having some fun and speculating.

This proposal sees the Ravens send Marquise Brown, their second-round pick, and their first third-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for Samuel and the 49ers’ fourth-round pick.

Essentially, Brown is valued at around a high second-round pick here which feels fair. The 24-year-old is coming off his first 1,000-yard season, but it’s still safe to say he’s fallen slightly short of expectations in Baltimore.

Brown is a good player, but Samuel is a great player and a true No. 1 wide receiver. That’s part of the thought process behind this trade. The other part is financial.

If the Ravens trade for Samuel, they’ll have to give him a massive extension worth well over $20 million per year, at a minimum. But Samuel wouldn’t be the only Ravens wideout looking for an extension.

Brown will be entering his fourth year in the league in 2022 and is on the verge of an extension of his own. Would the Ravens really want to pay both Samuel and Brown, especially given the state of the wide receiver market?

I’d venture to say they wouldn’t, which makes it even more feasible to include Brown in any potential Samuel trade. Financially and logistically, it makes all the sense in the world.

The Ravens hold onto their first-round pick and essentially swap a third for a fourth while scoring a major upgrade at the wide receiver position. The 49ers lose Samuel but recoup another young, talented wide receiver who will likely cost less.

This is a win-win trade, and although projecting player swaps in the NFL is difficult, it does seem to be in the best interest of both franchises to explore this proposal.