Dez Bryant thinks Deebo Samuel should stay with 49ers?

As of a handful of hours before the start of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the possibility of the New York Jets trading for San Francisco 49ers All-Pro offensive weapon Deebo Samuel was not "dead." 

One big-name pro football personality believes Samuel, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, should think twice before insisting he won't sign an extension with the 49ers. 

According to Kirk Larrabee of 49ers WebZone, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and three-time Pro Bowl selection Dez Bryant spoke with TMZ Sports about Samuel, who may be looking to earn roughly $25 million per year via a new agreement after he tallied 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns during this past regular season. 

"Deebo had a hell of a year and, you know, the receiver market right now is extremely high," Bryant explained about receivers such as Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs all earning big pay raises this offseason. "So I understand where he's coming from. He wants to get his and he deserves his. But if we're strictly talking about football, I think the 49ers (are) a great place for him. Kyle Shanahan, he is a genius. He knows how to get you the ball, and a lot of organizations don't know how to do that." 

Bryant's words are interesting because some have suggested Samuel only wants to feature as a wide receiver rather than as a dual-threat star who also gets carries during games. 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday he "can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo" and couldn't "envision a scenario where we would," and Bryant thinks Lynch has the right mindset. 

"No, I'm not trading Deebo," Bryant added. "Pay him what he wants. Go ahead and pay him, because he deserves it."