The Buffalo Bills are hoping big that free agent signing Curtis Samuel can lessen the impact of losing Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Houston Texans, but not everyone believes the experienced wide receiver will help Josh Allen and the passing offence in 2024.
On March 15, Buffalo signed Samuel to a three-year, $24 million contract, but at least one NFL analyst doubts he can make a huge impact.
According to Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report, Samuel is among the 14 “worst” free agent acquisitions in the NFL this offseason so far.
“With both Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs now gone,” Fowler writes for B/R. “It’s hard to think GM Brandon Beane approached free agency with the intention of simply acquiring Samuel’s comparable skill set to pair with Khalil Shakir, two inside-out, smaller pass-catchers who will be Josh Allen’s preferred targets.
“Again, I expect both Samuel and Shakir to do well this fall, but making a move for a legitimate ‘X’ wideout to add to the perimeter in say a Tee Higgins would have made sense for Buffalo.”
Samuel arrived in Buffalo after catching 62 catches for 613 yards and four scores in Washington previous season.
What Curtis Samuel Brings to Buffalo Bills:
Curtis Samuel is likely to be just one piece of the Bills’ receiving corps, as general manager Brandon Beane and his staff plan to reconfigure it around Allen.
After all, Samuel has yet to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season and has averaged slightly more than three touchdown receptions in his career.
However, there is reason to be optimistic, as Allen will be by far the most consistently dominant quarterback Samuel has ever taken passes from.
If the regular season began today, Samuel would most likely be at the top of the receiver depth chart, alongside Khalil Shakir and Mack Hollins, Buffalo’s three starting receivers.
However, now that the Bills have an additional sixth-round pick from the Texans as a result of the Diggs trade, Buffalo may attempt to trade up to choose one of the best receiver prospects in this year’s first round.
“If I had to guess,” said one NFC Personnel Director to me recently. “Buffalo’s going to draft at least one and maybe two wide receivers.”
Leave a Reply