Deebo Samuel may end up paying off for the 49ers in a way that has little to do with the stat sheet.
San Francisco brought him back in the opening stretch of training camp, and at first glance the move had a whiff of urgency to it. Rick Pearsall was out for the season, and the receiver group suddenly looked thin enough to raise real concerns.
Samuel, now 30 and apparently beyond his peak, arrived in camp looking fit and upbeat. What he has already delivered, though, goes beyond what he might do with the ball in his hands.
Since reporting to Niners camp on August 1, Samuel has been around a cluster of pass catchers, with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling standing out among them. Stribling has clearly been paying attention.
“Route running, physicality. The way [he] can manipulate routes... Getting open, creating separation and having strong hands at the catch point," were just some of the things he listed when asked what he has been able to learn from his veteran counterpart.
That kind of guidance matters for a young receiver who may be asked to contribute immediately. George Kittle is uncertain for Week 1, and Mike Evans is dealing with soft-tissue injuries, so there’s a real chance Stribling is thrown into a prominent role right away as one of Brock Purdy’s top targets. Whether he is ready for that kind of workload is still an open question.
For now, though, the signs are encouraging. Stribling has been soaking up what the veterans around him are teaching, and that’s exactly the sort of benefit the 49ers were hoping to get from bringing experienced players into the room.
Mike Evans, the 49ers' blockbuster offseason signing, already gave the group a major boost in terms of knowledge, and Samuel’s arrival only reinforces that idea at a much cheaper price. His deal is worth up to $7 million for one year, a steep drop from the three-year agreement worth up to $73.5 million from his first run with the team.
Whether San Francisco wants to keep him beyond this season is still unclear. If Samuel doesn’t have enough left physically, this could wind up being a short stay. Even so, he’s already showing that his value stretches past production alone, and with so much riding on De'Zhaun Stribling’s growth, the rookie learning from players with high football IQs is a promising development.
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Roger Craig Finally Gets The 49ers Honor Fans Never Forgot
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Craigs rsum has always stood out for more than just winning. He was the first NFL player to reach 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, a milestone only two others have matched since, and former teammates Steve Young and Ronnie Lott were quick to point to the work and commitment behind it. For a team built on iconic names, his enshrinement closes one of the more persistent gaps in the franchises history, even as the celebration of that era keeps expanding. [Read more 🡒]