Should Commanders Re-Sign Samuel?

To that end, Pro Football Focus recently ranked their top 150 potential free agents for this upcoming offseason, and Samuel checked in at No. 76. 

"Samuel was an efficient target in Eric Bienemy’s Washington offense that spread the ball around more than any team in the NFL, hauling in just shy of 73% of passes thrown his way with just four drops on 85 targets in 2023," PFF wrote. "Samuel was used as a ball carrier in 2023 like he was in 2022 and previous seasons dating back to his Ohio State days. His Swiss Army knife skill set shows up with good change of direction in space and start-stop ability that is still above average at this stage of his career." 

While he may never top the 77-catch, 851-yard breakout season that he had in 2020 for the Carolina Panthers, Samuel's two most recent seasons in Washington proved to be much more productive than his first. 

After signing a three-year, $45 million deal to join the Washington franchise following his career-best year in 2020, Samuel was limited to just five games in 2021, catching six passes for 27 yards. However, Samuel has 126 receptions for 1,269 yards and 10 total touchdowns since the start of the 2022 season. He's not a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but if you're looking for a No. 3 receiver, Samuel can provide value. 

Whether he returns to Washington or signs elsewhere, 2024 will be the first season that Samuel isn't coached by Ron Rivera. Not only did he spend the past three seasons playing under Rivera in D.C., but was a second-round pick by Rivera's Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL Draft. Still only 27, perhaps Samuel will follow Eric Bieniemy if he's coaching anywhere in the league in 2024.