Green Bay Packers fans have long been dreaming of adding Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade. There has been plenty of noise around teams wanting to add Metcalf, yet this past weekend, it was a different NFC West wide receiver on the move. The Washington Commanders traded for San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel in a move that surprised many. The move should give Packers fans a heavy dose of perspective surrounding the potential addition of Metcalf.
Deebo Samuel Trade Reaffirms Value of Veteran WRs
Deebo Samuel has long been rumored with an exit from San Francisco, and he has now finally departed via trade to the Washington Commanders, who have added another playmaker for QB Jayden Daniels for the price of a 5th-round pick. Although many fans are saying that the 49ers are the obvious losers in the trade and got “fleeced,” the reality is that veteran WRs do not command as much value as many fans think.
At 29 years of age, Samuel is almost certainly past his prime. He functions primarily as a “gadget” player and generally receives the ball via designer touches that include screen passes and jet sweep runs rather than a high volume of downfield routes. Although Samuel is one of the top playmakers with the ball in his hands, a limited route tree, inconsistent effort, and lack of consistent downfield separation relegate him to a tier well below the top wideouts in the game.
A 5th-round pick is certainly not a high price for a former Pro-Bowler, but the reality is the 49ers were never going to get something significantly better. Samuel had requested a trade, lowering the leverage that San Francisco had even more. Even so, NFL history tells us that veteran wide receivers do not command high price tags.
In the last three years, only two wide receivers have been directly swapped for draft compensation falling in the 1st or 2nd round; Tyreek Hill, who Miami paid a total of five picks for, including a 1st and a 2nd, Chase Claypool, who Chicago gave Pittsburgh a 2nd-rounder for, and of course, Davante Adams, who the Packers gave to the Raiders for a 1st and a 2nd.
Revisiting these trades, the teams paying up for the receivers are all pretty objectively the losers of the deal in hindsight. The Dolphins have gone nowhere fast since acquiring Hill, Claypool’s Bears career barely lasted 10 games, and the Raiders also did not improve their team and later dealt Adams for a 3rd round pick.
In any case, few NFL fans would argue that Samuel is in the same tier as Hill and especially Adams, who has perennially been one of the best WRs in the league for many years. For the Commanders to give much more than a 5th for him would be a mistake.
DK Metcalf’s Price and the Green Bay Packers’ Ability to Acquire Him
At 27 years old, Metcalf has a few seasons to go before he turns 30 and figures to be a productive player until at least that time. Despite his own inconsistencies, Metcalf functions much more as a true WR1 than Samuel and is multiple years younger. Metcalf has also never given the Seahawks any indication that he would prefer to be traded, nor has the organization actively shopped him. These all combine to make the asking price much higher than Samuel’s. But how much higher?
Last week, Seahawks reporter Corbin K. Smith announced that the Seahawks had a high asking price that would include high draft picks and a player in return. The news specifically pertained to the Packers, with the players in question being Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks.
Based on what I’ve heard, for #Seahawks to move DK Metcalf, trade would have to be structured to receive No. 23 and either Romeo Doubs or Dontaryion Wicks in exchange for receiver and one of their early day three selections.
Anything less than that, it’s not happening.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) February 28, 2025
This asking price is quite significant, and higher than history projects is a fair value. The Samuel deal is a much more fair indication of veteran wide receiver value.
Is DK Metcalf Really the Right Move for Green Bay?
The other thing about Metcalf is his contract. With just two years left on his current deal, the wideout has been seeking an extension that would begin paying him the year he turns 30. The Packers would likely have to sign him to an extension upon acquiring him.
However, is this extension warranted? Is Metcalf truly worth paying like one of the league’s top talents even though he hasn’t been in the top 15 most productive receivers (in yards) in any of the past three years? Keep in mind that the entire reason Deebo Samuel is being traded is because in recent seasons, he has not been performing up to the value of his contract extension. Samuel became expendable, disgruntled, and soon enough, no longer with the team. Would a massive extension to Metcalf play out similarly for Green Bay?
As much as the rest of the league seems to think Metcalf is highly available, Seahawks fans know that the front office is not exactly rushing Metcalf out the door. Unlike Samuel, who requested a trade, the Seahawks are not going to accept a deal that doesn’t blow them away. While a response to the reported asking price might be “the Packers need to negotiate down to a more reasonable value,” frankly, Seattle should be unwilling to haggle because they have all the leverage in the situation.
Taking on such a player could have consequences, which have been demonstrated by the mediocrity of Miami and Vegas as well as the ongoing fall of the 49ers Super Bowl window. For the Packers to pull the trigger on a player like Metcalf at such a high price, it would be a Super Bowl or bust move. Do Packers fans feel that this team is one veteran wide receiver away from winning it all?
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