The wide receiver-obsessed contingent of the Buffalo Bills' fan base may be overlooking a certain individual, and, somewhat understandably so.
Last offseason, the Bills signed veteran free agent Curtis Samuel to a three-year contract. It seemed like a home run at first as Samuel was a proven commodity at the NFL level with sub-4.4 speed. Not to mention, his best statistical season coincided with the one year that current Bills' offensive coordinator Joe Brady called the plays for the Carolina Panthers.
Unfortunately, Samuel was slowed by a toe injury toward the end of training camp, and he failed to carve out a role for himself while subsequently bothered by minor injuries along the way.
"I credit Curtis last year. He battled through a lot of different things, little tweaks here and there," said quarterback Josh Allen at the start of OTAs.
Fortunately for the Bills, Allen and Brady never gave up on Samuel and the 28-year-old made his presence felt during the playoffs. He caught all three of his receiving targets in a wildcard win over the Denver Broncos, including a beautiful 55-yard touchdown on a play where he beat All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II.
In the AFC Championship Game, Samuel bailed Allen out on a scramble drill and caught a 4-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bills a 29-25 fourth-quarter lead.
"Getting him going there, late in the season, it's so big for us because we can utilize him in so many different positions, whether it's Z, F or the running back position. He can play outside, too. He's got the long speed that really helps this offense stretch a field," said Allen.
With the bumps and bruises hopefully behind him, and a year's experience with Allen and the Bills in the bag, Samuel will have the chance to be the player that Buffalo thought it was getting when it signed him to a $24 million contract.
"Getting him involved early, and making sure that we're getting on the same page, and just finding what he's best at so we can utilize that to the best of our abilities. I think that's gonna help us as a whole," said Allen.
While signing only Joshua Palmer at the start of free agency, and declining to use an early-round draft pick on a wide receiver, Bills' general manager Brandon Beane likely had Samuel on his mind all along. With Palmer, the ultra-reliable Khalil Shakir and 2024 draft pick Keon Coleman in the fold, the former second-round talent needs only to increase his contributions to an average level and the Bills WR corps will look that much deeper.
An effective Samuel can be the impactful addition that fans have been screaming for Beane to make.
