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49ers To Trade Deebo Samuel To Commanders

March 1st, 2025 at 10:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers finally found a trade partner with whom they came to an agreement on terms to trade star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Commanders will acquire the versatile offensive veteran for draft compensation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the trade compensation as a fifth-round pick. Schefter adds that the trade will not be processed until the start of the new league year on March 12.

A report from yesterday named the Texans and Commanders as the teams which were making the strongest pushes to acquire Samuel. In short order, a deal has been reached which will send the former All-Pro to the nation’s capital. Washington had recently been linked to the pursuit of a receiver capable of complementing Terry McLaurin, and if healthy Samuel will be able to fit the bill.

The 29-year-old spent spent his first six years with San Francisco, serving as a key figure on offense and establishing himself as a unique skill-position weapon. Samuel’s most productive season by far came in 2021, when he racked up over 1,400 receiving yards and led the NFL in yards per catch (18.2). The former second-rounder also scored eight rushing touchdowns while succeeding in his ‘wide back’ role.

The 2022 offseason was defined in large part for the 49ers by the protracted negotiating process on a Samuel extension (something the team has become increasingly familiar with). The South Carolina product requested a trade at one point, but a three-year, $71.55MM agreement was ultimately worked out. One year remains on the deal, and Schefter notes the Commanders are taking on the full amount of the outstanding compensation.

As a result, Washington will pay Samuel roughly $17.55MM in 2025 barring an extension or restructure being worked out upon arrival. Given his injury troubles and decline production since signing his deal, this will be a critical campaign for the one-time Pro Bowler. On the 49ers’ end, this transaction will save $15.68MM on the team’s cap but generate $31.55MM in dead money.

In spite of that financial impact, this move comes as no surprise from San Francisco’s perspective. Samuel was the subject of trade talk at the draft last spring, and the 49ers’ monster extension for Brandon Aiyuk (and, to a much lesser extent, their new deal for Jauan Jennings) represented commitments to other wideouts for the post-2024 future. Once Ricky Pearsall was added in the first round of the draft, expectations increased that Samuel would be on the move after this past season. General manager John Lynch recently confirmed the 49ers would honor Samuel’s most recent trade request.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters previously worked in the 49ers’ front office, a factor which helps explain how he and Lynch managed to work out a trade well in advance of free agency. Anthony Lynn – who joined the Commanders’ coaching staff under Dan Quinn last offseason – has also worked with Samuel in San Francisco, so he represents another familiar face. If all goes according to plan, this trade could result in a long-term partnership between team and player via a new contract.

Washington traded away former first-rounder Jahan Dotson shortly into the beginning of the Peters-Quinn regime, something which left team short on WR2 options. Veteran Noah Brown played a notable role on offense before being lost to injury, and he has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Commanders. It will be interesting to see how the team’s in-house plans at the receiver position change in the wake of the Samuel acquisition.

As for the 49ers, their passing attack will continue to be centered on Aiyuk (presuming, of course, the latest round of trade interest in his case his rebuffed), Jennings, Pearsall and extension candidate George Kittle. Talks with the latter, along with quarterback Brock Purdy, have begun. Working out a long-term extension which will keep Purdy in place represents the top priority for the 49ers, but the offense he will be at the helm of in 2025 and likely beyond will not include Samuel.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Commanders, Texans Aggressively Pursuing Deebo Samuel Trade

February 28th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Deebo Samuel is known to be on the trade market, and the 49ers are prepared to honor his request to be moved. A pair of serious serious suitors have emerged.

The Commanders and Texans have shown “significant interest” in acquiring Samuel in recent days, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. He adds that talks have progressed at the Combine, meaning an agreement could soon be in place. While other teams could find themselves in play, Washington and Houston have been the most aggressive to date, per Schultz.

Both teams represent logical suitors for a veteran receiver addition. Washington has 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels attached to his initial NFL contract through at least 2027, giving the team a window of opportunity to make a strong push in terms of acquisitions this offseason. Bringing in a secondary option to complement Terry McLaurin is known to be on the Commanders’ radar.

McLaurin is only on the books for one more year, and none of his 2025 base salary ($15.5MM) is guaranteed. An extension could be on tap as a result, and Washington could stand to make a number of additions on the defensive side of the ball during free agency and the draft this spring. Still, adding a wideout with a stronger track record than the likes of Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey or Noah Brown – the latter of whom wants to re-sign – would be feasible.

Just like the Commanders, the Texans have the benefit of an affordable high-end quarterback under team control for years to come in the former of C.J. Stroud. Houston assembled a strong trio atop the WR depth chart last year, acquiring Stefon Diggs via trade from the Bills. Given his presence, along with that of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, expectations were high in 2024. The team’s offense did not preform as hoped, though, and both Diggs and Dell wound up suffering ACL tears.

Diggs is a pending free agent as a result of the restructure he worked out upon arrival in Houston. The team is open to bringing him back, but the injury could complicate his market value. Dell, meanwhile, is in danger of missing most (potentially all) of the 2025 campaign. An experienced pass-catcher would therefore be welcomed, particularly if veteran Robert Woods – who handled a small workload this past campaign – departs in free agency.

One year remains on Samuel’s pact, part of the reason he has long been seen as a trade candidate. That become true to an even larger extent last offseason when the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the draft and (eventually) worked out a big-ticket extension with Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel, 29, could soon see his San Francisco tenure come to an amicable end.

The former second-rounder earned All-Pro acclaim in 2021, the year in which he best highlighted his unique skillset. Samuel led the NFL in yards per reception (18.2) with a 77-1,405-6 statline. Toward the end of the campaign, he increasingly handled ‘wide back’ duties and racked up eight rushing touchdowns. On the back of that success, he secured a three-year, $71.55MM extension (the end result of a process which included a trade request at one point).

Samuel has missed multiple games each year since signing his pact, though, and only once in that span has he eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards. The 49ers could be equipped to move forward with Aiyuk and Pearsall leading the way at the receiver spot, with Jauan Jennings in the fold in a notable complementary role as well. Samuel, if healthy, would nevertheless add a distinct element to any number of offenses.

Schultz’s report also names the Steelers and Broncos as teams which have shown some level of interest. Pittsburgh was linked to many receiver additions last offseason, including extensive trade talks and extension negotiations related to Aiyuk. Denver aims to keep Courtland Sutton in the fold, but the team is not believed to have serious interest in adding a pricey veteran such as Samuel or Cooper Kupp.

A Day 3 pick was recently mentioned as the potential trade price in a Samuel deal. The Commanders are on track to own seven selections, including four on the draft’s final day. The Texans only have six picks at the moment, but they own one in each of the fourth and fifth rounds. It will be interesting to see if an agreement can be reached with either team in the near future.

Commanders’ Martin Mayhew Retires; Marty Hurney’s Contract Expires

February 25th, 2025 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite both Martin Mayhew and Marty Hurney having been key Ron Rivera lieutenants in Washington, both stayed on following the HC’s 2024 firing. Mayhew and Hurney were part of the staff that assembled the franchise’s first NFC championship game entrant since 1991, but both are moving on.

Mayhew, who was part of that famed 1991 Washington team as a cornerback, has announced his retirement, GM Adam Peters confirmed Tuesday. The former Lions and Commanders GM, who will turn 60 later this year, has been an NFL exec since 1999. He was in place as a senior personnel executive in 2024.

In place as an advisor to the GM, Hurney is no longer with the team after his contract expired, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets. This is not necessarily a firing, as Keim adds this was the expected path for Hurney, who twice served as Panthers GM before rejoining Rivera in Washington.

As for Mayhew, he arrived for his second GM role in 2021. Rivera had operated as coach/GM, effectively, in 2020 but brought in Mayhew for a Washington reunion. Mayhew played four seasons with Washington (1989-92), starting 48 games for the team and collecting a Super Bowl ring in the process. He signed with Tampa Bay during a 1993 offseason that introduced full-fledged free agency to the NFL. Mayhew wrapped his career after four Buccaneers seasons, transitioning to the personnel side not long after.

Serving under ex-teammate Matt Millen for eight years in Detroit, Mayhew succeeded him as GM and held the role for seven-plus years. The Lions fired Millen during their winless 2008 season, and Mayhew helped guide them out of the abyss. The team’s 2009 Matthew Stafford draft choice helped key playoff appearances in 2011 and ’14, with Mayhew’s Jim Caldwell hire also leading to a 2016 playoff cameo. Though, the Lions had fired Mayhew by then. Mayhew served as one of ex-Bucs teammate John Lynch‘s lieutenants in San Francisco, being part of the 2019 staff that turned the team from 4-12 to an NFC champion.

While Mayhew’s Washington GM tenure did not produce a steady contender, he will retire after spending 26 seasons as a personnel man. Hurney, 69, began in the personnel ranks near the outset of Mayhew’s cornerback career.

A former Bobby Beathard staffer in San Diego, Hurney worked his way up to Panthers GM by 2002. Hurney had worked in Carolina previously and was in place as GM when the Panthers booked their Super Bowl XXXVIII trip — a last-second loss to the Patriots. That GM stay lasted 11 years but ended after the 2012 season. Following their Dave Gettleman firing, the Panthers circled back to Hurney, whose second stint in the GM role ran from 2017-20.

Rivera hired Hurney as executive VP of player personnel in 2021. It is not known if Hurney is retiring for good, but he has spent more than 30 years as an NFL exec. The last of which came helping Peters, along with Mayhew, construct an unlikely Super Bowl contender.

As Peters builds his second Commanders team, the coaching staff will include Jesse Madden, who is the grandson of legendary coach/announcer John Madden. Jesse is certainly young in this profession, having recently graduated from Michigan. He was part of the Wolverines’ roster that won the national championship in 2023.

Commanders Grant Jonathan Allen Permission To Seek Trade

February 25th, 2025 at 8:10am CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Allen‘s future in the nation’s capital is increasingly uncertain. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle has been granted permission to seek a trade by the Commanders, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Allen has spent his entire eight-year career with Washington, serving as a mainstay along the defensive front during that span. The 30-year-old has only one year remaining on his contract, however, and none of his base salary ($15.5MM) is guaranteed. Set to carry a 2025 cap charge of $21.44MM as things stand, Allen is a candidate to be released in the near future.

As a result, it comes as little surprise he and his camp have received permission to find a trade partner. As Jones notes, teams have contacted the Commanders in recent days about Allen. Talks on that front will no doubt intensify at the Combine. Cutting or trading the former first-rounder would yield $16.47MM in savings for the team while generating a dead money charge of $6MM.

Allen was limited to five games during his rookie season, but after that he had a run of durability which ended in 2024. The Alabama product suffered a pectoral tear which appeared at first to be season-ending. Allen managed to return in time for the end of the campaign as well as all three of Washington’s playoff games, but the team is set to move on at this point. Daron Payne remains attached to the four-year, $90MM extension he signed upon receiving the franchise tag in 2023, while 2024 second-round pick Johnny Newton is in place as a candidate to replace Allen (a 108-game starter with 42 sacks to his name) in the starting lineup.

After showcasing his potential on his rookie contract, Allen landed an extension averaging $18MM per year in 2021. His Pro Bowl nods came in back-to-back campaigns upon signing that deal, something which pointed to a long-term run in Washington. Now, his time with the franchise is nearing an end. With the option of signing Allen after a release still a distinct possibility, it will be interesting to see if any of the interested parties are willing to part with draft capital to work out a trade agreement.

Commanders Expected To Pursue WR2 Addition

February 23rd, 2025 at 8:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Commanders Could Release Jonathan Allen?

February 23rd, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

Beginning in 2017, the Commanders used a first-round pick on a defensive lineman for four consecutive years. The first player in that stretch – Jonathan Allen – has remained in Washington throughout his career.

The veteran has been a mainstay along the defensive front since a rookie campaign which saw him limited to only five games. A pectoral tear led to a major absence in 2024, and even though Allen managed to return to the lineup when he was feared to be sidelined for the rest of the campaign, he now faces an uncertain future. The 30-year-old could find himself as a cap casualty.

Ben Standig of The Athletic writes it appears to be unlikely the Commanders and Allen will work out a restructure or extension which would lower his scheduled 2025 cap hit of $22.47MM (subscription required). One year remains on his pact, and none of his $15.5MM base salary for the coming campaign is guaranteed. An alteration could of course be on the table, considering Washington is near the top of the NFL in terms of cap space as free agency approaches. Failing that, however, the team could move on via a release.

Allen has produced at least six sacks in a season four times to date, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and ’22. His impact against the passer remained notable this past campaign (three sacks in eight games), but Washington already has Daron Payne under contract on a lucrative deal (which includes guarantees for 2025) for the next two years. The team also selected a potential Allen successor in the form of Johnny Newton last April.

The second-rounder battled an ankle injury which required multiple surgeries during his rookie campaign, but after logging a 51% snap share across 16 games he could take a step forward in usage and production in 2025. Moving on from Allen would set up a Payne-Newton tandem on the interior as the Commanders look to improve against the run this offseason. Of course, the regime led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn is not the one which was in place when Allen was drafted or extended in 2021.

Peters said last March he was not looking to trade the Alabama product, although the Newton selection led to renewed interest from teams shortly thereafter. Allen’s injury will hurt his market in the event he is cut, but his track record would no doubt allow for him to find a suitor relatively soon. The Commanders would generate $16.47MM in cap savings while incurring a dead money charge of $6MM by moving forward with a release.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 15th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/10/25

February 10th, 2025 at 6:50pm CST by Ben Levine

A handful of reserve/futures deals to pass along:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Commanders

Commanders Preparing Aggressive Pursuit Of Defensive Additions

February 10th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Led by the stellar play of Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, the Commanders made a surprise run to the NFC title game. The team’s defense was a sore spot during the campaign, though, and it is understandably a point of focus for the offseason.

[RELATED: Myles Garrett Discusses Potential Fit With Commanders]

Washington can be expected to be aggressive in pursuing upgrades on defense, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. That comes as little surprise, given the fact Daniels will be attached to his rookie contract through 2027 (with a fifth-year option possible for the following campaign). Making major financial commitments will be much more feasible now than the period where he will be on an extension as long as he cements his status as a franchise passer.

The Commanders reset on defense midway through last season by dealing away edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the trade deadline. The arrival of new head coach Dan Quinn brought about several new faces on that side of the ball, many of whom were familiar to him stemming from his time as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Washington was active ahead of the 2024 deadline by acquiring Pro Bowl corner Marson Lattimore from the Saints.

The Commanders outbid multiple suitors to acquire the 28-year-old, although injuries limited him to only five appearances with his new team. Lattimore struggled in coverage during the playoffs in particular, but well before that point it was clear the team intended to keep him in the fold via a revised deal. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is set to carry a cap hit of $18MM in 2025 with a projected $18.5MM figure the following year; none of his scheduled base salaries are guaranteed for that stretch. An extension could lower his cap charges while providing a new round of locked in compensation.

Even if Lattimore is retained, the secondary will be an area of focus for Washington this spring. On that note, Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes Commanders general manager Adam Peters was a strong advocate for the 49ers drafting safety Talanoa Hufanga in 2021 (subscription required). Peters was a member of San Francisco’s front office at the time, so Hufanga – one of the 49ers’ top pending free agents – would be a logical target if he were to prioritize familiar players in March.

With respect to the defensive line, Osa Odighizuwa could be a name to watch. The 26-year-old has spent his first four years as a Cowboy, so he has experience playing under Quinn in Dallas. Graziano’s colleague Jeremy Fowler writes Odighizuwa is viewed by teams as the top interior defender in the 2025 free agent class, so he could generate a strong market beyond the Commanders. Washington has Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen under contract, though, and the team invested a second-round pick in Jer’Zhan Newton last April. Still, if the Commanders were to target Odighizuwa next month, he could become the latest ex-Cowboy to head to the nation’s capital.

Washington currently sits third in the NFL in projected 2025 cap space, so finances will not be an issue while Peters and Co. look to upgrade a defense which ranked 18th in points allowed and struggled against the run this past season. It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Commanders are this spring as they look to build off the success witnessed during Daniels’ debut campaign.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
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