There’s the great, just like the Washington Commanders getting a pleasant begin from a rookie. And there’s the shaky, just like the dangerous transfer of bypassing possibilities to enhance the cross rush. However right here is the Commanders’ single-best transfer within the 2025 NFL offseason.
The Commanders wanted to do three issues within the offseason to proceed the momentum from an amazing 2024 season that noticed them attain the NFC Championship recreation. They wanted upgrades for the offensive line, broad receivers, and edge rusher. They have been in a position to get two of these issues performed. And one in all them was their single-best transfer.
Pretty much as good because the acquisition of sort out Laremy Tunsil was, one transfer turned out to be higher.
Commanders WR Deebo Samuel ranks at high of offseason strikes
Jayden Daniels made an enormous splash in his first NFL season regardless of throwing to a bunch of unheralded receivers. Daniels made them higher. beneath the path of head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
However when push got here to shove late within the postseason, the Commanders didn’t have sufficient firepower on the wideout place. Enter Samuel, and better hopes for 2025.
The choice to commerce for Samuel ranked No. 4 throughout the NFL, in keeping with nfl.com.
“(The transfer to get) Samuel is the one that ought to generate probably the most pleasure round D.C.,” Jeffri Chadiha wrote. “Regardless that the 29-year-old broad receiver is coming off one in all his worst seasons, he additionally was taking part in on a 49ers workforce that struggled by way of an assortment of well being issues, together with a season-ending knee harm to broad receiver Brandon Aiyuk. This commerce now pairs Samuel with a rising star quarterback (Jayden Daniels) in an offense that already has a No. 1 receiver (Terry McLaurin).”
Samuel is a superb match for Kingsbury’s inventive offense. Kingsbury will use Samuel in quite a lot of methods. For instance, defenses can be keyed on Daniels and Kingsbury can use misdirection to get open working performs for Samuel.
“It is not arduous to see Samuel thriving with that sort of expertise, in addition to a dashing assault that ranked third within the league final season,” Chadiha wrote. “These are mainly the identical variables that have been in play throughout his peak years in San Francisco. And also you noticed the manufacturing that got here consequently. Samuel is a bodily receiver who additionally brings added versatility as a runner and gadget-play choice.”
One other bonus for the Commanders is Samuel’s motivation. He’s solely been within the league for six years and doubtless seems like most NFL observers have written him off. He’s 29, which implies he ought to nonetheless have a minimum of a few standout years remaining. Samuel stated Commanders followers ought to be excited, in keeping with apnews.com.
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“They’re getting a motivated Deebo,” Samuel stated. “I am very motivated, (and) I am simply able to get again to work. I am simply able to get round a bunch of fellows, meet with the gamers and we simply go from there.”
It has been 4 years since Samuel earned first-team All-Professional honors. The very fact he solely fetched a fifth-round decide for the 49ers has caught with him.
“It simply type of exhibits what they suppose,” Samuel stated. “For me on my finish, it’s similar to they put this a lot belief in me to do the issues they so far as my contract, I can’t are available right here and allow them to down. I’ve bought to offer it my all. I’ve bought to do all of the issues that I must do to be the most effective model myself after I come right here.”
Plus, Samuel likes being with the Commanders. They have been one of many closest groups to the place he grew in South Carolina. And he has household in Baltimore.
“It’s type of near house, a extremely good workforce, a extremely good quarterback,” Samuel stated. “Terry’s been taking part in on the high of his recreation for the previous six years. We’re occurring seven, so that they type of take into account us previous, however I don’t take into account us previous. These younger legs are nonetheless shifting. This physique’s nonetheless working fairly properly. I’m simply able to get to work.”
Talking of McLaurin, the acquisition of Samuel is an enormous increase for him. He’s been carrying a ton of the Commanders load in latest seasons. However he has nonetheless produced. This may give him a bit extra freedom to function as groups have to pay attention to Samuel’s skills.
The Commanders nonetheless don’t have a lot of a menace at WR3. That’s Noah Brown proper now. Nevertheless, if rookie Jaylin Lane can step right into a key function, he makes the commerce for Samuel even higher. Lane has a number of the identical expertise as Samuel. And if each of them are on the sector on the identical time, together with McLaurin, defenses can have a lot to fret about.
Mixed with addition of Tunsil, Daniels ought to have extra time to function. This is the reason having Samuel roaming round beneath might create extra massive deep performs for McLaurin.