Former Cowboys DE believes 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to sign Brock Purdy “to a top of the market contract”

Former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Chris Canty thinks the San Francisco 49ers are going through a reset, and that includes getting rid of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and paying quarterback Brock Purdy. He commented on the trade on his show on ESPN Radio, "Unsportsmanlike," on Monday.

“This is one of those moves that doesn't signal a rebuild, but it is a reset for the 49ers, at least on the offensive side of the ball,” Canty said.

The 49ers agreed to send Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick on Saturday. The draft will be finalized when the new league year opens on March 12.

It marks the end of Samuel as a focal point for one of the best offenses of the past half-decade. In six seasons with the 49ers, Samuel accrued 5,430 yards receiving and 1,431 yards rushing as a do-it-all offensive weapon for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. His best year was 2021, when he had more than 1,500 yards receiving and led the league with an 18.2-yard-per-catch average.

Samuel struggled with injuries last season. He injured his calf in Weeks 3 and 4, contracted pneumonia before their Week 8 game and suffered rib and oblique injuries in the latter half of the season. Although it was a down year for Samuel, he still only missed one game.

The Samuel trade is to facilitate a record-breaking contract for quarterback Brock Purdy, according to Chris Canty.

"It's clearing the decks to make sure that there is enough room to be able to sign Brock Purdy to a top of the market contract," Canty said.

Quarterback Brock Purdy is eligible for a contract extension after three years of starter production as one of the cheapest players in the league. Purdy has one year remaining on his rookie contract.

Canty talks about rumors that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could follow Deebo Samuel out the door

Chris Canty also addressed rumors that the 49ers are open to moving on from another wide receiver in Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk signed a contract extension with the 49ers just last season, so this would be a shocking revelation if a trade goes through.

“We get the reports that the 49ers are listening to calls for Brandon Aiyuk as well, which is odd in and of itself," Canty said.

Canty believes that trading Deebo Samuel and potentially moving off Aiyuk is a sign that they want to change how the offense looks in the future.

“It is also about retooling the weapons around Brock Purdy,” Canty said. “I understand the decision, but we got to see how they follow that up.”

If both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel leave in the offseason, the most experienced wide receiver on the 49ers' roster would be Jauan Jennings. He could be a breakout candidate after posting a career-high 975 yards last season, his fourth in the NFL.