Analyst Not Sold On Commanders' Deebo Samuel Move
The Washington Commanders signaled their Super Bowl intentions this offseason when general manager Adam Peters swung for the fences with trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil.
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Both will upgrade two key positions for quarterback Jayden Daniels, with Terry McLaurin now having a genuine running mate, while the left tackle spot with Tunsil is now fortified.
But not everyone is sold on those moves, and Samuel in particular. Coming off a poor 2024 season with the San Francisco 49ers, Deebo has to fend off the narrative that he might be starting to slow down.
And for ESPN's Seth Walder, the more he thinks about it, the less he likes the acquisition of Samuel.
'The trade for Deebo Samuel Sr. was a move that I was less a fan of the more I thought about it,' Walder wrote. 'The Commanders dealt a fifth-round pick and will pay $17.5 million for Samuel, who is 29 and coming off a rough 2024 in which he recorded 670 receiving yards and a career-low 37 overall score in ESPN's player-tracking based receiver scores.
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'When grading the deal, I wrote that I was working under the assumption that Washington would add another wideout later in the offseason because Samuel would be a weakness as a No. 2 receiver. But there was no other major wide receiver addition.'
Washington Commanders WR Deebo SamuelSergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Having not gotten close to his All-Pro form of 2021, Samuel only posted 670 yards and three touchdowns last season, which isn't up to his usual high standards, but still a decent return.
But the Commanders will be hoping for more.
The big question is, can Deebo, in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, produce to a level where he can help push this team towards the Super Bowl? Equally adept at destroying defenses as a receiver and runner, Samuel looms as a big trump card for the Commanders.
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But only if he can produce on the field, which, right now, many people are skeptical of.
Related: Is Jayden Daniels' Commanders' Offense As Good As We Think?
Related: Commanders' Running Back 'Under Pressure' To Earn Snaps
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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