Samuel, who debuted his "wide back" role last season against the Rams in Week 9, has maintained a similar role through four games in 2022. However, Rice is not a fan of Samuel's usage on the ground and believes it shows the 49ers' hand when the receiver lines up in the backfield.
"I'm not a big fan of him being back in that backfield because it's almost like the second he's back in the backfield, the opponent knows that Deebo is going to get the ball," Rice explained. "So it's going to be up to Kyle Shanahan to be a little bit more creative, maybe spread him out just a little bit more. Brandon Aiyuk, he made some plays, and they've got some weapons. They've got some guys that can make some plays."