49ers could trade Deebo Samuel before NFL Draft starts on April 28?

If San Francisco 49ers offensive Most Valuable Player Deebo Samuel was looking for attention through recent noteworthy social-media activities, he's received it and then some. 

Peter King of "Football Morning in America" wrote at the start of the week that the 49ers "are going to be in a quandary if Deebo Samuel insists on getting paid top of market, and getting paid now," as the 26-year-old is in the final year of his rookie contract and watched Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs sign huge deals this offseason. 

Then, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network reported Wednesday the 2019 second-round draft pick who recorded 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns this past season wants "a contract in the range of about $25 million per year." 

For a piece published Thursday, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic explained that Samuel could have a new football home before the upcoming draft opens on the night of April 28. 

"If the 49ers aren’t prepared to eventually pay Deebo at or near the top of the WR market, I believe he’ll be traded before April 28, the first round of the draft, for a package that would include a first-round pick in this draft that the 49ers would immediately use on a WR," Kawakami wrote. 

However, Kawakami added: "I don’t expect that, though."

He continued: 

"But if Deebo is still on this roster at the end of April 28, I believe that’ll be a large hint that the 49ers feel like they can and will get this done. That they know what it’ll take to sign him and they are prepared to pay it. Maybe not anytime soon, but by the first camp practice." 

The 49ers are essentially stuck with veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his $24.2 million salary for now as he recovers from the March surgery he needed to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. That could change once Garoppolo can resume throwing in either June or July, but there's still no guarantee the 49ers will trade him for pennies on the dollar, or at all, with 2021 rookie Trey Lance still an unproven commodity at the position. 

Theoretically, trading Garoppolo would free up funds that could be used to pay Samuel if the 49ers wish to travel down that road this summer.