Deebo Samuel Sr. has been an easy target since his trade to the Washington Commanders. A glowing reference from one of his old teammates should shut that down for good.
But it probably won't.
Samuel has been getting it from all angles. Everything from his production and conditioning has been called into question. Accusations of checking out and causing a distraction with the San Francisco 49ers also reared their head. The fact that they gave him away for nothing more than a fifth-round pick and took on over $34 million in dead money only fanned the flames further.
The Commanders believe Samuel can help them get over the hump. He's left an extremely impressive early impression throughout Washington's offseason workout program. If the same trend continues, this move from general manager Adam Peters will be a masterstroke.
Brock Purdy outlines disappointment at Deebo Samuel's departure to the Commanders
Brock Purdy had nothing but good things to say about Samuel during an appearance on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast. Among other things, the Niners' quarterback hailed the wideout for being supportive, always having his back, and steering him through a pivotal early transition to become one of the biggest draft steals in NFL history.
"It sucks, dude. He’s my boy. I love Deebo. Day 1, he’s always had my back and believed in me when I got in. I didn’t really know how the guys were going to take it when I did get thrown in. Jimmy went down, I was the last quarterback, and Deebo was nothing but just great to me, dude, building me up, and just giving me confidence. In games, we fed off each other’s energy and building each other up. It was awesome, and over the last couple of years, same thing. So, we created just a great relationship. He’s my brother."
Brock Purdy via SI
That doesn't sound like a bad teammate to me. It sounds like a pretty good one.
There are some growing misconceptions about Samuel. But if you listen to the way coaches and players speak about him, it paints a completely different picture.
You don't achieve what Samuel has without the correct attitude and work ethic. He's got plenty of extra motivation with increasing doubters to silence and a new contract to potentially attain, so all signs point to a major bounce-back campaign in a different environment.
And if Samuel has the same impact on Jayden Daniels as he did on Purdy, the Commanders' offense is set for legitimate greatness.
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