The Buffalo Bills are banking on Curtis Samuel, a recent free agent acquisition, to mitigate the impact of trading away Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. However, skepticism surrounds whether Samuel, a veteran wide receiver, can truly enhance Josh Allen’s passing game in the upcoming 2024 season. Despite signing Samuel to a lucrative three-year contract worth $24 million in mid-March, some doubt his ability to make a substantial difference.
Ryan Fowler, an NFL analyst for Bleacher Report, includes Samuel in his list of the 14 “worst” free agent signings of the offseason. Fowler suggests that the Bills may have erred in solely adding Samuel’s skill set to complement Khalil Shakir, both being smaller pass-catchers, instead of pursuing a more traditional “X” wideout like Tee Higgins.
While Samuel’s statistics from his previous season with Washington are modest—62 receptions for 613 yards and four touchdowns—there’s hope that playing with Allen, arguably the most consistently dominant quarterback he’s teamed up with, could elevate his performance.
As it stands, Samuel is likely positioned at the top of Buffalo’s receiver depth chart alongside Shakir and Mack Hollins. Nevertheless, with an additional sixth-round draft pick from the Diggs trade, there’s speculation that the Bills might trade up to select top receiver prospects in the upcoming draft.
In summary, while Samuel’s arrival adds a piece to the Bills’ receiving puzzle, questions linger about whether he alone can fill the void left by Diggs’ departure. The team’s potential moves in the draft suggest they’re not banking solely on Samuel to bolster their receiving corps.
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