Curtis Samuel has been the subject of trade rumors practically since he was first drafted by the Carolina Panthers several years ago. This offseason was no different, as there were multiple reports leading up to the 2020 NFL draft that teams were still calling about him.
For what it’s worth, the front office has always publicly stated they have no intention of dealing Samuel to another team. Samuel also seems to be committed to Carolina. When he was asked about the reports during his Zoom call with the media today, Samuel said they’re “past that” and he is focused on the Panthers.
Curtis Samuel on trade rumors during offseason: "We're past that point now." Says focus is on Panthers and getting better.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 13, 2020
Pretty clear. That said, Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie deal and the fact he hasn’t been given a contract extension yet raises questions about his long-term future with the franchise.
Despite the clear statement here and the team’s stance, don’t expect the trade rumors to go away. If there’s still no extension by late October and the Panthers are clearly out of the playoff race (hardly a stretch to imagine) then it might make sense to deal him to a contender at the deadline and cash in while they still can.
If the 49ers pick up Tavon Austin, that probably takes one potential trade partner off the table. There are several others that could use a weapon like Samuel, though.
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