Sure sounds like Deebo Samuel and Broncos are a match made in heaven

The San Francisco 49ers have officially granted Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade ahead of his last season under contract.

An underwhelming 2024 campaign puts both Samuel's immediate and more distant future in doubt. He's an incredibly skilled and versatile player, but it remains to be seen if he can rekindle the Pro Bowl impact of years past. With a modest cap hit of $15.8 million, however, several contenders ought to come knocking.

The field is far from settled as far as where Samuel might end up, but one logical destination would be the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton has found his franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, who put together a compelling ROY case while leading Denver to the postseason. There is still a sizable gap between Denver and the AFC's upper echelon, but an elite playmaker like Samuel might close that cavity rather quickly.

Denver has a few strong playmakers on the roster, such as Courtland Sutton and DeVaughn Vele, but Samuel would take the offense up a notch. More than a speedster on the edge, Samuel can feast on quick-hitters over the middle and even contribute to the run game, where the Broncos need a lot of help.

It's more than a strong fit on paper, too. It's a landing spot Samuel himself appears to be eyeing with considerable interest.

Deebo Samuel says Broncos are cooking 'something special' in 2025

Samuel, now effectively a free agent with a catch, said the Broncos could be "something special" in 2025. That feels like a blatant 'shoot your shot' moment for a player in search of his next team. Samuel, 29, has been to the Super Bowl and he wants to get back. Few realistic landing spots offer a better path than Denver, especially if the Broncos can nail the moves around a hypothetical Samuel trade.

Nix needs better targets, as every great, young quarterback does. Now is the time for Denver to invest all-in on Nix's supporting cast, as he's still on a team-friendly rookie contract for three more years. Samuel probably won't stick around that long, but even as a brief rental, he'd bring considerable playmaking acumen to the Broncos' offense.

For his entire career, Samuel has been one of the NFL's most effective Swiss Army Knifes out on the field. He finished last season with 670 yards and three touchdowns through the air, averaging 13.1 yards per catch across 15 starts. He also added 136 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Denver needs to address the running back position, but Samuel is a legitimate option on designed runs out of the backfield. He will line up all over the formation and find unique ways to be useful, whether it's setting a timely block or breaking off a huge gain in space.

His best years are behind him, but the 49ers' 2024 campaign felt cursed from the beginning. Give Samuel a better quarterback and a more substantial workload, and one has to imagine he still has a quality season or two left in the tank. If Denver can bring it out of him, maybe we aren't talking about the Broncos as a first-round exit a year from now.