Rams fans can’t stop laughing at 49ers uninspiring Deebo Samuel backup plan

It may not be a matter that plagues the San Francisco 49ers throughout the entire 2025 season, but the Los Angeles Rams are starting training camp with far fewer questions surrounding their wide receiver room than their NFC West Division rivals.

Yes, the Rams parted ways with veteran WR Cooper Kupp. But the front office wasted no time signing veteran free agent Davante Adams.

The 49ers parted ways with veteran WR Deebo Samuel. But they didn't add an elite talent to take his place in the offense. And as we had pointed out just two weeks ago, that was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of wide receiver problems that their team was facing. Here are some other receiver complications:

• WR Brandon Aiyuk - Physically Unable to Perform
• WR Ricky Pearsall - Physically Unable to Perform
• WR Jauan Jennings - Demanding to be traded
• WR Demarcus Robinson - Facing likely NFL suspension

To compensate, the 49ers have been actively trialing other offensive weapons to sign, and are committing to adding fresh faces to the roster. But to make room, the 49ers are releasing four other players.

So who is in the queue to help the 49ers deal with the loss of Debo Samuel in 2025? The pickings are slim. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Niners are targeting the bottom of the barrel:

Let's run down the two outbound and two inbound wide receivers:

49ers left grasping at straws trying to replace Deebo Samuel

OUTBOUND - WR Equanimeous St. Brown

The 49ers are releasing 6-foot-5, 214-pound wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, an indication that he was not working out. St. Brown has six years of NFL experience, never earning more than light work. He last played for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, but failed to generate any measurable offensive stats.

OUTBOUND - WR Malik Knowles

The 49ers are releasing 6-foot-2, 196-pound wide receiver Malik Knowles. Knowles had signed with both the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers in the past, but never earned playing time on either team's offense. He didn't pan out either, and leaves the 49ers roster at a tough time of year to sign on elsewhere.

INBOUND - WR Marquez Callaway

The 49ers are signing 6-foot-2, 204-pound wide receiver Marquez Callaway. Callaway flashed some potential in 2021 in one of four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, but failed to generate any stats.

Callaway has some special teams experience, possibly allowing him to compete for a role returning either kickoffs or punts. But he will need to show up in a big way, as training camp is already well underway for the 49ers.

INBOUND - WR Andy Isabella

Finally, the 49ers are signing former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Andy Isabella. The 5-foot-9, 188-pound wide receiver was selected by the Cardinals in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft, but never panned out. He was released in 2022, allowing him to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite his early selection, Isabella has simply not worked out in the NFL. He even tried to work with special teams for the Cardinals, to no avail.

While there are many reasons to swap out players during training camp, these roster moves seem more about panicking than deliberate strategy. Swapping parts is a sign of a bad auto mechanic or a confused NFL team that is not finding what it wants on the practice field. Is this because the 49ers are already missing Deebo Samuel?

If so, then Rams fans have every right to be laughing at the 49ers' uninspiring Deebo Samuel backup plan. And if you don't think it's funny, just give it a minute. It really is.

As always, thanks for reading.

You are sure to enjoy other recent Rams articles