Who won the Commanders vs 49ers trades for the 2025 season?

Commanders GM Adam Peters determined to trade twice in 2025 with his former GM John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers. It is much too early to know what will transpire; consequently it is much too early to know who won these trades, but here’s a quick look for now.

Deebo Samuel

• March 12- Peters traded away Washington’s fifth-round selection (147 overall) to the 49ers in exchange for WR Deebo Samuel.
• March 19, Samuel was re-signed to a one-year $17 million restructured contract.
• Samuel is 29 (January 15) and his best season was without question 2021 when he totaled 1,405 receiving yards, averaging 18.1 per reception. He also rushed for 365 yards for an impressive 6.2 per carry.
• Samuel plays in the slot, will be catching slants, screens, and running the ball occasionally, perhaps each game.
• The Commanders lost UFA Olamide Zaccheaus, who signed with the Bears. Will Samuel be able to surpass Zaccheaus’ 2024 production of 45 receptions for 506 yards (11.2), 26 receiving first downs, and one rush for eight yards?
• The 49ers, thinking his best days were behind him, were willing to trade away Deebo for that 5th round choice.
• It is a contract year for Samuel, which means he certainly has much motivation to produce. If Peters is not pleased with Samuel’s 2025 production, it will not cost him anything to let Deebo walk in free agency. Yet, he did trade away that No. 147 draft choice. Time will tell how RB Jordan James develops for the 49ers.
• Has Samuel lost the ability to run deep routes to keep a defense honest? Or might he be restricted to bubble screens, quick slants, and only short routes, allowing the defense to play up and tight on him, while also helping to defend the run?

Brian Robinson, Jr

• August 22- Washington traded three-year RB No. 1 Robinson to the 49ers for a 2026 6th-round draft selection.
• Peters had already determined the Commanders were not going to keep Robinson for the 2025 season. He was going to be released next week. Thus, the 49ers, not wanting to compete with other teams interested in Robinson, made the deal for the sixth-round choice.
• Robinson, age 26 (March 22) is in the last year of his rookie deal, so he is certainly much less expensive than Samuel. However, it’s also true that with Christian McCaffrey and James Jordan, might Robinson appear to only play in short yardage situations or unless there is an injury to McCaffrey and or Jordan?
• Washington decided to move on from Robinson because they saw a decline in his effectiveness in 2024. For instance, in Rushing Success Rate, Robinson finished dead last of their four running backs last season (Chris Rodriguez 74.3, Jeremy McNichols (58.2), Austin Ekeler (51.9), and Robinson 48.7).

Who made the better deal? Well, we won’t know until games are played on the field and the draft choices develop or don’t.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Examining both sides of the Commanders-49ers 2025 trades