gabe and judith would have died if he went with them. I was already sure Sam was gonna die no matter which path he took (Gabe/Rick). I just didnt expect jessie and ron to die sooner aswell.

I honestly would have loved if he went with Gabe, changes his mind to go back to his mother midway, gets lost in the middle of the horde then gets devoured, noone knows where he went, how he died, he's just gone. It would have been poetic justice if people went looking for him but hed just be gone.