The Washington Commanders made a host of moves this offseason seeking to improve their roster and help the team get over the Philadelphia Eagles-size hump standing in front of them.
When it came time for NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha to rank and file the moves made by all 32 NFL teams this offseason, he had the Commanders near the top, ranked fourth out of his selection of top 10 moves.
While free agency dominated headlines, it wasn't a new signing that got Washington up there but a trade.
"Commanders general manager Adam Peters has made a flurry of moves over the last few weeks -- including the trade that delivered left tackle Laremy Tunsil-- but Samuel is the one that should generate the most excitement around D.C.," Chadiha writes. "This trade now pairs Samuel with a rising star quarterback (Jayden Daniels) in an offense that already has a No. 1 receiver (Terry McLaurin). It's not hard to see Samuel thriving with that type of talent, as well as a rushing attack that ranked third in the league last season. These are basically the same variables that were in play during his peak years in San Francisco, and you saw the production that came as a result."
While some are cool to the addition of Samuel, others are downright excited to see what this could mean for the receiver and for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's offense as a whole.
There's another layer to this move as well, as Samuel is also one of the better short-area receivers we've seen in the league during his career, and can help in situations when Daniels needs to get the ball out quicker than usual–thus helping improve offensive line play, even before the addition of Tunsil at left tackle.
All said, it points to an improved Commanders offense in 2025, which is going to be impressive to watch if it comes to fruition, because that unit was already one of the best in the NFL last year when it came to producing points.
