The San Francisco 49ers are suddenly stuck in a difficult situation, needing to revamp their wide receiver room thanks to Deebo Samuel's sudden trade request.
Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a major knee injury and aside from Jauan Jennings, the group is unproven. Ricky Pearsall showed flashes in his rookie year, though it's still obvious that quarterback Brock Purdy needs some more weapons to avoid another year of missing the playoffs.
San Francisco has options for a Samuel trade. Regardless, fans should expect another move via free agency, the draft, or another trade to bring another wideout to the team once the dust settles. They'll need to spend money wisely and there's one underrated option who could be a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Tyrod Taylor to Darius Slayton Passing TD (3/2) pic.twitter.com/VWed7BhD5W
— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVids) December 26, 2023
49ers Should Sign WR Darius Slayton After Deebo Samuel Trade
This idea was first floated by Nick Wagoner of ESPN, who wrote that "a midlevel veteran free agent along the lines of Robert Woods, Darius Slayton, or Amari Cooper would make sense for depth and to provide stability until Aiyuk is ready to return."
Factoring in Woods' age and Cooper's likely salary demands, there's a good argument to make that Slayton is the best value of the bunch. He has four seasons with over 720 receiving yards despite spending all six years of his career with the New York Giants, averaging 15 yards per reception as an excellent deep threat.
Samuel and Slayton are not the same type of receiver by any means, though they each accomplish the goal of big plays. Slayton can stretch defenses to create more room over the middle for George Kittle and Jennings, but he's also capable of turning on the jets with the ball in his hands.
From Slayton's perspective, the 49ers represent a true chance to win. He's never played for a contender or a coach with Shanahan's play-calling expertise. This is a perfect fit for both sides and wouldn't force the 49ers to break the bank.
We'll see what comes from the impending Samuel trade. In the meantime, San Francisco needs to consider adding a potential impact player like Slayton.