Schneed10
03-05-2025, 09:15 AM
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I was reading through this thread from start to finish and thinking everybody's missing the point, until I saw this. Leave it to the boss, he'll put his finger on it.
Deebo has been the #1 WR in Yards After Catch in the entire NFL for a long time now.
2020: 12.1 YAC, 1st in the NFL
2021: 10.0 YAC, 1st in the NFL
2022: 8.8 YAC, 1st in the NFL
2023: 8.8 YAC, 1st in the NFL
2024: 8.3 YAC, 1st in the NFL
Down year sure, but still one of the best at this particular skill. We were not great in this category in 2024.
Deebo's size and aggressive style forces secondaries to roll coverage at him and prevent him from getting into open space. Even when they did he was still tough to bring down as evidenced by the stats above. Some of his stats are Shanahan's scheme, he's next level at getting guys running open but Kliff is pretty good with it too.
Secondaries are going to have to honor the Deebo threat. It will free Terry more often and the slot (Luke?) and the TE should find themselves with more opportunities to operate in space.
Very good move.
skinsfan69
03-05-2025, 10:03 AM
I was listening to Whitner who does media for the 49ers. Basically said some of the stuff that is already out there. He needs to lose some weight and get in better shape if he wants to play longer. And that he had issues getting separation from man coverage.
Good fan breakdown from a 49ers fan on reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Commanders/comments/1j2q7ky/lifelong_49ers_fan_indepth_review_on_deebo_samuel/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Hey all, happy Deebo going to a team I like and some 49ers ties with Adam Peters running the personnel and very creative OC that can design plays for him to get the ball in space. I've watched every minute of 49ers football since like 2010 probably and deep dive into some of the game film stuff. I'm far from an expert but I'm fair, honest, and quite knowledgeable for a guy that sits at a desk for a living. Seen a lot of football at this point and here's my analysis:
When Deebo is at his best:
PROS
+ Tone setter. "Dawg' attitude. A bully. Few players in my 40 years as a 49ers fan have made me feel like i could lift a truck after watching some of his plays. He will get the crowd and team going and can be both thunder and lightning. Just a fucking badass and an absolute menace when he gets going.
+ Incredible contact balance and run after catch ability. An absolute playmaker. Truly unique and elite with the ball in his hands. I don't throw around "elite" if i don't mean it, but in his ability to break the initial tackle and bully through arm tackles in open space against DB-types and even most linebackers, he's special, different, 1-of-1, whatever you want to say.
+ dual threat. He can play tailback and get 5-6 YPC, take reverses to the house, etc. Can create matchup nightmares in the backfield especially in 3-4 WR sets because defense has to lineup with more DBs and be lighter in the box, but then he shifts to tailback and can take run as effectively as most running backs. Watch any of his highlight reels on youtube and you'll see how he's able to take the ball behind the line of scrimmage and send it for a house call.
+ edit: He has better hands than people might say online IMO. He's had concentration drops for sure, but has also made spectacular contested catches and leaping grabs as well. I wouldn't say his hands are amazing, but also some 49ers fans thinks he's got bricks for hands which is untrue.
OK if he's so good how come the 49ers were willing to trade him for a day 3 pick and eat considerable salary. Well ... it's complicated. 1. Purdy money. I have a feeling most outside SF think Purdy is worse than he is, and most 49ers fans think he's better than he is but the truth is he will get paid and they need to trim back as they have 2 high-priced WRs, Bosa, Warner, CMC, Trent Williams (hey thanks for that guy!) all making a lot of money. They can only pay so many. Also, as much as I love deebo, he's imperfect...
CONS
- You love the physical nature of his game and his ability to bruise anyone willing to come across him, but it's come at a price. His last truly healthy season was 4 years ago in 2021. He essentially put the team on his back that year all the way to a crushing NFCCG loss to the eventual champion Rams. He made some plays that year that were all-timers. If you get anything near this version of Deebo, Washington could be an unstoppable offense. I would never question Deebo's heart as he will play through injury but it's felt like he's always nursing something since that '21 season. Hamstring, Calf, Ribs, shoulder, etc. Just watch Netflix's "Receiver" and you'll see the punishment he's put himself through. Last year's season got derailed when he got a bad case of pneumonia of all things before week 3. He was the talk of camp coming into '24, looked to be in good shape, had lost weight, everyone commented how fast he looked in preseason how he was going to be the star of the offense after the Brandon Aiyuk contract saga, etc etc. And then he got Pneumonia and you saw him breathing from oxygen tanks for like a month+ after that on the sidelines whenever he made a play. He just didn't look like himself for like the middle 10 weeks of the season.
- When he's right, his effort with the ball in his hand is truly second to none in today's NFL. He will not stop fighting for extra yards. You just don't see physicality at the WR position like that. That said, when the ball is not in his hands, he can be at times almost laughably lacking. Blocking wise he's hit or miss. When he's not the main target you can see on game film he takes many plays off or gives a horseshit effort. Is that a huge deal? Idk. It's not like Kyle Shanahan doesn't see the game film lol, you know he sees it, but clearly they've reached some sort of agreement that they're fine with him getting a breath so he can be at his best with the ball in his hand. But it's undeniable that there's a stark difference when you see Aiyuk shredding dudes for CMC down the field and Jauan Jennings taking souls into the gatorade cooler. All their WRs do that, except Deebo.
- Biggest deficiency is he is just rough against man coverage. Teams like the chiefs who play their DBs physical at the line have had a lot of success limiting Deebo. He has trouble getting separation in the pass game and his route running is 100% below average. Just not technical. I would rank him behind BA, Jennings, Kittle, and even CMC in terms of route running and precision. His best routes are screens, deep overs, crossing routes, but all his big plays are on play action crosses/posts, bubble screens, and running game designed. This is why he needs to go to the right place and Washington is definitely a team that is excellent in the screen, RPO game and from some gamefilm i've seen, Daniels is undersold as an assassin in the intermediate game as well.
Final word
If he's healthy and motivated you have a dynamic difference maker who's truly awesome with the ball. He is/was one of my favorite 49ers in the last 20 years and we've had a lot of great players in that time. I would say at his peak, the 2021 season he reached Frank Gore levels of 49er fandom love. He showed glimpses of his old self at the end of the year against the Dolphins, but for much of the season he was kinda awful if i'm being honest. A key drop with the season on the line against the Rams late in the season after he went to the media saying he didn't get the ball enough was kind of the nail in the coffin for most fans. Talking shit and then coming up flat is just such a bad look. Reports have since come out that he got out of shape in-season thanks in part to the illness he had. Hopefully he is not that, I would love to see him back to form in Washington's exciting offense. I would just say temper your expectations. You're unlikely getting the 1st team all-pro from '21, but rather a gadget guy who can help create space for McLaurin and your off-brand McCaffrey (sorry lol, he's good just had to make the joke). That's fine though, the price was reflected in that and the upside could be a return to the 2023 guy who had 1100 scrimmage yards and helped lead the team to a deep playoff run.
His best game which i'm sure you'll love is when he went full beast mode against the Eagles in '23.
Good luck!
calia
03-06-2025, 02:20 AM
That was a great read.
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