Don't expect the Buccaneers to pursue a Deebo Samuel trade this offseason

We’re still a few weeks away from the new league year beginning and the NFL offseason officially kicking off, but there has already been a fair share of engine revving. Before the playoffs were even over it was reported that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel requested a trade, something that perked up ears of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans wondering if he might be a fit.

It turned out to be the first of a few gusts created by the rumor mill, with Myles Garrett requesting a trade not long after Samuel and guys like Max Crosby and Micah Parsons getting tossed into the mix as well.

Neither Crosby or Parsons have requested trades, but they’ve stopped short of asking for one while proverbially tapping their watches while staring down their respective front offices.

Almost all of those guys would be a fit for the Buccaneers, but the only one with a decent argument against the team making a move for him is Deebo.

Buccaneers trading for Deebo Samuel would make no sense with Chris Godwin already in Tampa Bay

The buzz aorund Samuel has died down a bit around Samuel, but the combine should reignite some interest. That’s where we’re sure to hear of rumors picking back up with the NFL Draft coming into focus and with it the picks San Francisco would want in return.

Don’t expect the Bucs to get involved outside of being mentioned in various listicles.

Samuel is a great player, but the journey to acquiring him makes little sense for the Bucs. For starters, Jason Licht loves his draft picks and woul dbe hard pressed to give them up in a blockbuster deal. If he were interested in moving picks in trade, using them to land Garrett, Crosby, or Parsons is a much better idea.

One major reason the Bucs could be a landing spot for Samuel is as a Chris Godwin replacement policy. Godwin is set to become a free agent this offseason and is already being linked to the Raiders and Jaguars. Even that is flawed logic, as it overlooks some pretty key details.

Something it comes down to at that point is financials; Samuel is due around $23 million AAV while Godwin’s market value is around $22 million. San Francisco gave Samuel a three-year, $71.5 million contract last offseason which means the Bucs would be losing a year on that deal and forfeiting three full seasons with Godwin.

Essentially, if the Bucs were willing to take on Samuel’s contract then logic would suggest they’re fine paying Godwin in free agency. Why pay for someone who needs to learn the offense when there’s already a guy in the building who knows it, thrives in it, and everybody loves?

Beyond that, Godwin is familiar with Tampa Bay’s system and already fits like a glove. Samuel is one of the most explosive players in the league and would eventually get up to speed, but the learning curve is non-existent for Godwin and the upside is about the same.

It could be argued that Rachaad White can fill a Deebo-type role in Josh Grizzard’s scheme, with Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker assuming the bulk of the traditional backfield duties. White already plays more of a hybrid role and Godwin was used by Dave Canales in packages we’ve seen designed for Samuel.

There’s no denying that Deebo is a fantastic offensive weapon and the Bucs would be well off if they were to trade for him. The arguement is whether or not they’d be better off with him over Godwin, which just doesn’t feel like a wide enough gap to justify making a move. The draft capital the Bucs would need to surrender doesn’t make sense, and if the team wants to spend on a wide receiver then they already have an in-house option that feels like a better fit in almost every way.