Will the 49ers Regret Trading Deebo Samuel to the Commanders?

Trading Deebo Samuel was the right move for the 49ers. And ultimately, they didn't have a choice, considering Samuel requested the trade. But they didn't have to send him to the Commanders.

All the 49ers got in return was a measly fifth-round draft pick. It's not like the Commanders made them an offer they couldn't refuse. The 49ers could have sent him anywhere else for a late pick, preferably somewhere in the AFC so the 49ers won't have to face him.

Because now Samuel is on an excellent team in the NFC with an excellent quarterback, an excellent head coach and an excellent wide receivers coach -- Wes Welker. The Commanders just hired him yesterday after he recently left the Miami Dolphins.

Keep in mind, Welker was the 49ers' wide receivers coach from 2019 to 2021 -- arguably the best years of Samuel's career. In 2021, he was a first-team All Pro and probably should have won the Offensive Player of the Year Award and maybe the MVP. He was that great.

Then Welker left for the Dolphins and Samuel's conditioning and performance gradually deteriorated. It turns out Welker was the one holding Samuel accountable when he was young. Since he signed a big contract extension in 2022, no one seems to hold him accountable anymore. At least not on the 49ers.

Now the Commanders have reunited him with Welker, which means Samuel just might have one more excellent season in him.

In retrospect, instead of trading Samuel to the Commanders, maybe the 49ers could have kept him and brought back Welker to coach him.

Just a thought.