NFL Rumors report 49ers Deebo Samuel draws more interest than Rams Cooper Kupp

While the Los Angeles Rams have done a rather remarkable job of retaining veteran contributors of late, the team's willingness to part ways with veterans has hit a bit of a snag. The Rams had informed wide receiver Cooper Kupp that he would be traded 'immediately.' And that was compounded with the reported NFL rumor that the Rams have permitted veteran IOL Jonah Jackson to seek a trade elsewhere.

Initial speculation over which NFL teams might show interest in Kupp or Jackson, there has been limited, if any, reports of NFL teams that are actually showing real interest in either player. That has not bee the case for San Francisco 49ers WR/RB Deebo Samuel, who is also permitted to seek a trade to a new NFL team.

And the early NFL rumors reported indicate that the Washington Commanders and Houston Texans are showing 'significant interest' in trading for him, and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos are in the mix as well:

So, what gives? Is Deebo Samuel perceived as the better player? To understand the disparity of interest, let's drive a data table for the two players:

Based on the data above, the player who should be attracting more interest, if anyone, is Cooper Kupp. But the NFL is not just about comparing statistics. So let's dig a bit deeper.

If you examine the ages of players, you will find that Cooper Kupp is on the far side of 30. He is 31, and will turn 32 years old before the 2025 NFL season begins. The continental divide for NFL general managers seems to be 30 years old. To emphasize that point, Deebo Samuel is still 29 years old, and will be 29 years old at the start of the 2025 NFL season.

But wait, there's more.

More Rams offseason news:

Money matters

The Rams contract for Cooper Kupp is pretty straightforward. Kupp is under contract through 2026. In 2025, he pulls in a salary of $12.5 million, plus a roster bonus of $7.5 million due on March 17, 2025. In 2026, he is due a salary of $14.85 million, plus a roster bonus of $5 million due on March 17, 2026.

In the case of Deebo Samuel, his contract is a complex matter of assorted payments that runs through 2025. He has a base salary of just $1.17 million. But he gets an option payment of $4.929 million due on March 22. Beyond that, he gets a per game bonus payment of $750k, and a workout bonus of $200k. Per OTC, when all the smoke clears, Samuel will pocket just over $17.55 million in 2025.

So comparing the two salaries due from an acquiring team, Samuel will cost $17.55 million, while Kupp will likely only cost $12.5 million.

So the two significant advantages that Deebo Samuel brings to his new team is the fact that he is younger and his contract only lasts through 2025. Any team trading for Cooper Kupp gets an older player for two seasons. But in head to head comparisons, my most unbiased objective assessment is that Kupp offers more value to any interested team.

Some fans continue to hope for the Rams to reconsider trading away Kupp. But I fear that ship has sailed. Now it's a matter of putting him in the best NFL team for a reasonable return. Perhaps one of the teams that strikes out in trying to trade for Deebo Samuel will pivot to Cooper Kupp. I suspect if that happens, that team will end up with the better player.

As always, thanks for reading:

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