The Washington Commanders' decision to trade for Deebo Samuel back in March represented their current state of mind: title contention. Those two words have not often been used in such discussions around this team, but the arrival of Jayden Daniels has changed the trajectory entirely.
Washington's quarterback possesses the ability to make this team a contender now. They enlist some quality pieces around him but needed more to take this thing to another level.
Samuel projects to do just that, slotting in as the team's No. 2 receiver and giving Terry McLaurin a proper running mate. The Commanders have not had this strong of a tandem in some time and there is a belief that this trade comes with some risk.
Samuel had a phenomenal 2021 campaign but the numbers have dipped and not come back to those marks in the three years since. Yet, according to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, this does not mean Samuel cannot fulfill the fundamental role he is being asked to play.
"Samuel will create a few big plays out of nothing and run through a few defenders. He's going to drop a few more passes than you would like and miss a couple of games each season, but that's perfectly reasonable for a WR2. He will do well with the high quantity of screens and RPOs the Commanders ran last season..."
The near 1,880 total yardage campaign of 2021 is long gone and Samuel will not reach that point again in his career. As a runner, Samuel may not be deployed in the same way he has years past.
However, Samuel has totaled 2,194 receiving yards over the last three seasons. He can still be a big producer in the passing game, supplementing a strong No. 1 like McLaurin who is good for 1,000 every year.
Frankly, that is what Washington needs from Samuel. It's hard to peg him in as a "role player" given his star status and his electrifying style. But focusing squarely on being a pass catcher will help him maximize his role with this team.
If he can proves capable of filling that role, this entire offensive system should be in its best shape.
