What it might cost Patriots to land Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel
Both Kupp and Samuel announced that they'll be traded this offseason.
A second star wide receiver has become available for trade before the NFL’s offseason officially opens, giving the Patriots more options to potentially add at one of their weakest positions.
Deebo Samuel has been granted permission by the 49ers to seek a trade partner, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday.
“It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle (Shanahan) because of the relationship that we have,” Samuel told Schefter. “But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”
The news of Samuel hitting the trade market came less than a week after Cooper Kupp announced that the Rams were going to trade him this offseason. Kupp shared that the team would work with him to also find a trade partner.
Both players have either been linked to the Patriots in the past or New England has been viewed as a possible fit. An AFC executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the Patriots would be “foolish” not to pursue a trade for Kupp.
As for Samuel, the Patriots actually had interest in him last offseason when he briefly became available for trade around the 2024 NFL Draft. New England and San Francisco had “discussions” about Samuel between Days 1 and 2 of the draft, according to multiple reports at the time.
Of course, Samuel remained in the Bay Area for the 2024 season and the Patriots’ wide receiver woes continued throughout the year. As they potentially seek veteran wide receiver help, the cost to acquire Samuel this time around or Kupp might not be too costly.
Kupp’s trade market is believed to be “complicated” ahead of the offseason due to his age, contract, and injury history, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini. The star wide receiver will turn 32 in June and is due $20 million in 2025, with $15 million of that being guaranteed by the middle of March. As for the injuries, Kupp has missed 18 games over the last three seasons, missing five games in 2024.
Due to those factors, people around the NFL view the trade helped the Bears land Keenan Allen from the Chargers last offseason as a model for a possible Kupp trade, Schefter said on ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.” In that trade, the Bears surrendered a fourth-round pick (No. 110) to the Chargers for Allen.
Kupp, who won Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP in 2021, had 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns over 12 games in 2024. He would’ve led the Patriots in all three stats last season.
It’s possible that a trade for Samuel might cost the same. Last offseason, the 49ers were seeking second- and third-round picks for Samuel at the time, according to The Athletic‘s Michael Silver. But the 2024 season likely hurt Samuel’s trade value. He arguably had the worst season of his career, recording 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games.
The 29-year-old has also dealt with a handful of injuries over his career, missing eight games and departing a few more early over the last three years. Additionally, Samuel is entering the final year of his contract and the 49ers will likely need to keep some future cap space open to make room for Brock Purdy’s looming extension.
New England is set to have over $120 million in cap space this offseason, so it doesn’t necessarily need to acquire a receiver via trade. But that cap room could make it more tangible for the Patriots to take on a veteran wide receiver who is on a shorter-term deal rather than handing a larger contract to Tee Higgins or another top free-agent wide receiver.
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