WFT Free Agency 2021: “We really talked about this in the dorms freshman year”: WFT wide receiver Terry McLaurin reacts to Washington signing former Ohio state teammate Curtis Samuel to new deal.

Curtis Samuel signed a new deal with the Washington Football Team to head to the second NFL team of his career. A great move for both sides, the new deal will pair Samuel with former college roommate Terry McLaurin to lead Washington’s receiving core.

Curtis Samuel’s Career so far:

The 2017 second-round pick spent his first 4 years as a Carolina Panther. Samuel’s career didn’t get off to the start both him and Carolina would have hoped for, racking up just 115 yards receiving in his rookie year. But to his credit, Curtis improved each year, with 494 in his second year, 627 in his third year and an impressive 851 last year.

What separates Curtis Samuel from other WR’s is his versatility.  Samuel was also a running back when he played for the Buckeyes. So when the Panthers generational RB Christian McCaffrey was side-lined with injury, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, took advantage of the speedster’s ability to play wideout and running back as he did in college. Samuel had an impressive 200 yards rushing on 41 rushes in 2020.

Curtis Samuel also exceeded expectations with a catch rate of 79.4%, leading all NFL receivers, which was also much better than his 56.3% over prior seasons. Samuel was also one of the leading wide receivers on third-down conversions.

Will Samuel succeed in Washington?

Barring injury or a temperament issue, 100%. Washington tried to trade for Samuel last season, a quest that started in the summer and lasted until the trade deadline. The person who blocked the move: Panthers general manager Marty Hurney, who now serves as Washington’s senior vice president of player personnel.

One of Washington’s biggest free agency needs was to add a quality wide receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin. McLaurin was a breakout star in 2020. He had almost 90 catches for 1,118 yards and was a nightmare for NFL defences. But defences could easily focus most of their attention on the speedy wideout since other weapons on offence were scarce. Washington wanted to add speed at wide receiver and accomplished that mission with Samuel, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds at the 2017 scouting combine.

Apart from the obvious McLaurin benefitting with his former college teammate now his NFL teammate, Washington’s running backs will also benefit with Curtis Samuel in the picture. Both Antonio Gibson and J.D McKissic, Washington’s RBs, will be able to line up in the slot when Curtis Samuel lines up in the backfield, adding a lot more depth to Washington’s play calling.

With Samuel’s continued improvement and proven availability over the past couple of seasons, his signing could be one of the best signings of the entire offseason. . He is someone who can slide right into Washington’s receiver rotation and challenge cornerbacks on deep balls, run underneath routes and work as a ball-carrier when needed.

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