New Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been one of the NFL's most-discussed offseason acquisitions. Some have questioned if Samuel's best days are behind him, while others question Samuel's physical conditioning.
Samuel is motivated. Entering the final year of his current contract, Samuel is looking for a new deal from the Commanders or someone else. Regardless of what you hear on social media, Samuel showed up in outstanding shape and participated in all of Washington's offseason work.
It was during the offseason that Samuel developed an appreciation for new teammate Noah Brown's route running. A video surfaced on X showing Samuel working on his route running, where he told others how special Brown was as a route runner.
While Samuel was Washington's prize pickup at wide receiver, the Commanders also re-signed the steady and reliable Brown for another season. Surprisingly released during Houston's final cuts last summer, the Commanders, needing help at receiver, claimed Brown. He immediately became a trusted target for Jayden Daniels.
Brown will always be remembered for catching the "Hail Mary" to shock the Bears, but he was Washington's second-leading wide receiver for much of the season until an injury ended his season in Week 13. Brown also showed a penchant for drawing penalties, as he was one of the best at drawing defensive pass interference penalties.
Brown was injured during Washington's minicamp last month. The injury doesn't appear serious, and the Commanders hope he'll be on the field when they open training camp later this month.
With the addition of Samuel and Brown's re-signing, the Commanders believe they're in much better shape at wide receiver in 2025. Washington hopes to have star wideout Terry McLaurin back when training camp opens. McLaurin is currently working on an extension with the Commanders and skipped last month's minicamp.
