The Washington Commanders were thrilled when they acquired Deebo Samuel this offseason. The former All-Pro was the perfect kind of receiver they felt was needed to pair with Terry McLaurin.
It's not like Samuel came without baggage, though.
After an All-Pro season in 2021, the South Carolina product has struggled to match that production since. Injuries and concerns about his weight have followed Samuel over the last few years.
Indeed, a minicamp video this week shows Deebo running a route and looking ... maybe a bit thick. And maybe something shy of being a sprinter.
And now the criticism is oozing out of the woodwork.
A Barstool headline - "The Haters And Losers Are Once Again Calling Deebo Samuel Fat'' - is one way to combat the negative movement.
Another? Listen to head coach Dan Quinn, who has been very complimentary of Samuel's work so far with the Commanders.
"Deebo has been very impressive to me for maybe a different reason than I thought," Quinn said during minicamp this week. "He was such a difficult person to tackle that you spent so much time, ‘How are you going to tackle this person?’
"And somewhere along the way, I've forgotten until out here how fast he is."
Deebo's fast?
Consider all of this a slap back from the Commanders to the critics.
We bet he gets in better shape. We also wonder if in this one video he wasn't trying to look like a sprinter.
But in the end?
Samuel's game plan in Washington should be relatively simple. The club should try to get the ball in his hands as much as possible and let him work.
Samuel's always been relentless with the ball in his hands - even as a runner. That won't change this season. With a star quarterback in Jayden Daniels feeding him ball, those injury and weight concerns should be a thing of the past. Being paired with a top receiver like McLaurin will only open the offense more for Samuel.
He could be the final piece to Washington's Super Bowl roster this season and beyond. ... no matter what "the haters and the losers'' think.
