NFL star wide receivers Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf have much in common. The two former second-round draft picks play the same position, and they have the same agent: Tory Dandy of Creative Artists Agency. They also share the same financial goal: achieving generational wealth via prospective blockbuster contract extensions. Where they differ this week: their approach toward attending mandatory minicamps.
Samuel attending, but Metcalf skipping mandatory minicamp
Disgruntled this offseason about his contract and his role as a wide receiver who also plays running back, Samuel has opted to attend the San Francisco 49ers’ mandatory minicamp this week.
It signals a thaw in the relationship between the NFC West franchise and Samuel.
Meanwhile, Metcalf has opted to skip the Seattle Seahawks’ mandatory minicamp. He is not excused, according to a league source, which means he will owe up to $93,000 in fines.
Metcalf is rehabbing from injuries in Los Angeles this week instead of attending the Seahawks’ minicamp. He has previously attended offseason workouts and has expressed confidence that a deal will ultimately be worked out.
“We don’t plan on him going anywhere else,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said recently. “We want him to be with us.”
And Metcalf echoed that sentiment on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast.
“I will say we are going to get something done,” said Metcalf, who has caught 216 passes for 3,170 yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons. “I think I’m going to be in Seattle for the next coming years, yes sir. At the end of the day once you sit down and make a grown-man decision, yeah, I want to be in Seattle.”
Huge deals signed by Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams this offseason have led to contract envy from wide receivers across the league. A.J. Brown got a $25 million per year deal from the Philadelphia Eagles after being traded from the Tennessee Titans.
Samuel’s relationship with 49ers described as fine
Samuel requested a trade in April but still attended minicamp this week. He ran on the side Monday but didn’t practice.
49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have both stated they have no inclination to trade him whatsoever.
Shanahan emphasized to reporters that the relationship with Samuel is solid.
“I think it’s always been all right,” Shanahan said. “I know we’ve gone through the business part of this league and things like that but I don’t think the relationship was ever too far away to not get it back to normal and I think we’re working on that.
“Anytime you’re away from each other for a while, that’s always harder, but it’s good to get him back in here and start getting him around the guys again. I love our relationship with Deebo and hopefully that will help us be able to solve this contractually before we get to the season.”
Veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams has provided advice to Samuel about the situation.
“This is his business, this is his dream, this is his career, I’m definitely not the one to overstep,” Williams said. “I try to offer advice if he asks me for some, which he has and we’ve had good, quality talks and I think that he’s grabbing the situation by the horns now and showing how mature he is by showing up, and I think that goes a long way.”
Shanahan also weighed in on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being excused from minicamp as he rehabs his surgically repaired right shoulder in Los Angeles.
“All his rehab is down in L.A., so for him to stop it to come up here for a three-day minicamp doesn’t make much sense for him or for us,” Shanahan said. “So, we want him to stay with his rehab. It wasn’t a real risky surgery or anything. It just takes time. So I think the plan still has always been July, but I know there’s no concerns with it and he’ll be throwing sooner than later.”
What will it cost to extend these star receivers?
Hill’s $120 million contract and league-high $30 million average per year, Adams’ $140 million contract that averages $28 million annually, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ $54.5 million contract that averages $27.25 million a year, and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ $96 million contract that averages $24 million annually represent the elite receiver deals.
Besides Samuel and Metcalf, the Washington Commanders’ Terry McLaurin and Los Angeles Rams standout wide receiver Cooper Kupp are also in line for new deals.
Kupp is due a $14.5 million base salary this year, but he’s expected to eventually get a raise.
Kupp earned one. He led the NFL with 145 catches, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns before catching the game-winning touchdown in a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and being named the MVP of the game.
“I’m not trying to beat anybody,” Kupp said this offseason. “I’m not trying to compare myself to anyone else. It’s more about being in a place that’s just right for both sides.”