Deebo knows how to get yards — and attention

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Very clever of Deebo Samuel. Obviously, he’s as adept at getting attention as he is at running or catching a football. Who knew?

So much going on, the Warriors about to take their first-round series in the playoffs — that’s a given; we need no fat lady singing — the Giants getting noticed by the New York Times, and the A’s in their endless (and seemingly hopeless) attempt to build a ballpark, making headlines if not progress.

So what can a self-declared unappreciated halfback sulking away down in Florida do but declare he wants to be traded?

You say he can meet with the people in charge of his current (and probably future) team, the 49ers, and with his advisors hold a businesslike discussion?

Thanks, but this is sports, and you’ve got to make as much noise as possible to try to make as much money as possible.

Samuel implied the issue isn’t money (although we know it’s always money) but that he doesn’t like being used as both a running back and receiver. The season for the 49ers ended in early January, when they lost to the Rams one game short of the Super Bowl. Samuel then virtually disappeared until in mid-April ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said Deebo was disenchanted.

On Monday, the Niners had their traditional pre-draft media session. However, it was anything but traditional. The first question hurled at general manager John Lynch was about Samuel.

So was the next. And the next. And the next. Not that Lynch was caught off guard. After all, he is a Stanford man, as well as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I know you guys have jobs to do,” conceded Lynch, “and everyone’s very curious about Deebo and what’s going on there.”

Indeed. A man who caught the most passes, who gained much of the yards, who in effect was a one-man offense.

What is going on there?

”You guys have seen the stories and all that,” said Lynch, which naturally we had. “And like I said, I’m not going to get into those particulars because I don’t think it’s productive.”

Productive in providing material for reporters and columnists and TV commentators? Productive in affecting a possible transaction?

The more we know, well, the more we know. But what general managers know — how and why a pro football team is put together, or torn apart — just remain secret.

“You talk about the sanctity of keeping these things private,” Lynch was asked. ”Clearly this is no longer private. Does that bother you?”

As pointed out, Lynch comes well prepared. Hey, last year didn’t he trade all those draft picks for the quarterback (Trey Lance) who will throw or handoff to Deebo? (Well, maybe not.)

The next season, it’s whether Samuel will be around to get the ball.

Whether he or the Niners have leverage in the situation is debatable. Samuel remains under contract to San Francisco. If he doesn’t play for the Niners, he doesn’t get paid.  

Then again, if he doesn’t play for them, and no deal is made, the offense will be in trouble.

“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo,” was the cryptic comment from Lynch. He might not imagine it, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be forced into doing it.

“You put yourself through exercises of — even though we don’t have a first, you go through the process. He’s just too good a player; 2019, the 36th pick; to come up with someone like Deebo, who to me has been a game-changing player for our franchise.

“As (Arizona State coach) Herman Edwards says, it’s about when will meets skill. Do you let guys like that walk? I can’t imagine a scenario where we would.”

But what’s the scenario seen by Samuel, the man who runs, not walks?