Insider shoots down rumor linking Patriots with 49ers' Deebo Samuel

New England Patriots fans may want to stop dreaming about their favorite club trading for San Francisco 49ers dual-threat offensive weapon Deebo Samuel this offseason. 

"I checked in with somebody who would absolutely know on this, and they said, 'A) We're not trading him and B) They haven't called,'" Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer explained during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston's "Early Edition" (h/t Justin Leger). "So wherever this is, it hasn't gotten to the Niners' desks. This isn't something that's been on the table for them at all." 

According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, executive producer James Stewart of Boston-area sports radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub recently raised eyebrows when he said on the air that he "got a text message from an NFL talent evaluator that the Patriots are sniffing around Deebo Samuel." Last summer, Samuel and the 49ers agreed to a three-year contract extension that reportedly is worth a maximum value of $73.5 million and includes $58.1 million in guaranteed money. 

Breer suggested that salary-cap questions could tempt the 49ers to sell Samuel high if the right offer came along before this year's NFL Draft. 

"(Fellow 49ers receiver) Brandon Aiyuk is going to be up in the next couple of years and he's eligible for a new deal now," Breer said. "So, could this evolve that way? Sure. But there's no meat on the bone there as of right now."

The 49ers are about to let veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hit free agency when the new league year opens next month. Second-year pro Trey Lance is on an inexpensive rookie contract and remains an unproven commodity. Rookie Brock Purdy is even cheaper and is sidelined indefinitely, as he awaits surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow he suffered in the NFC Championship Game.

In short, this offseason probably won't be the time for the 49ers to jettison any offensive playmakers unless doing so allows them to acquire a star quarterback such as Green Bay Packers starter Aaron Rodgers.