NFL Guru Andrew Siciliano Explains Why the Deebo Samuel Trade Is “A Steal” for the Commanders

In what can be considered the first blockbuster trade of the unofficial 2025 offseason, the Washington Commanders have acquired star wideout Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. However, Commanders fans aren’t exactly thrilled about landing Samuel, as his fitness and production have been major question marks since his career-defining, First-team All-Pro 2021 season.

Overall, many see the deal as one that doesn’t significantly move the needle for the Commanders, but NFL guru Andrew Siciliano thinks otherwise.

In Siciliano’s eyes, the Deebo Samuel trade was “a steal” for the Commanders because they only gave up a fifth-round pick to the 49ers in return.

While many would argue that a fifth-round pick is a fair price for Samuel’s performances over the past three years, Siciliano explained that the 49ers got the short end of the stick, especially considering that receivers like Davante Adams and Amari Cooper were traded for third-round picks last year. On top of that, Samuel is only 29, younger than both Adams and Cooper, and still has plenty left in the tank.

“That Deebo Samuel deal is a great deal for the Commanders. He’s 29 years old, and all it cost them was a fifth-round pick. Consider this: Last year, Stefon Diggs went for a second-round pick, Davante Adams went for a third, and Amari Cooper also went for a third. Jahan Dotson and a fifth went for a third,” said the pundit.

Yes, Deebo’s $17.55 million salary would have been a major deterrent for many teams, but the Commanders giving up just a fifth-round pick for a player of Samuel’s caliber can only be described as a steal.

“And yet, the Commanders get a 29-year-old Deebo for just a fifth. I don’t care that they have to pay him $21 million this year—that’s a steal,” Siciliano added.

While Siciliano’s take was more from a financial and tangible perspective, a similar case can be made when considering the intangibles Deebo Samuel brings to Washington. The 29-year-old WR has been in a rut for the past three years, as evidenced by his declining fitness levels and public trade requests.

As we’ve often seen, a change of scenery can do wonders for players in such situations. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Samuel will have the trust of GM Adam Peters, who was the architect behind his signing in San Francisco.

Add to this the fact that Commanders fans would be happy to see him play second fiddle to Terry McLaurin, and there is a lot to like about this deal from a Commanders-Samuel POV.

Naturally, many Commanders’ faithful resonated with Siciliano’s take.

A few, however, kept pointing to Samuel’s dwindling output and massive salary as reasons why the 49ers won the trade.

As far as the salary cap argument is concerned, the Washington Commanders are one of the few teams who need not worry about it, as they boast one of the highest cap spaces in the league, thanks to having Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal.

Samuel’s recent production has raised concerns, but if a fifth-round pick isn’t worth the gamble on a proven elite receiver, what is?