No one has ever denied the fact that Deebo Samuel has been one of the best offensive weapons in the league since he arrived during the 2019 season.
Plenty of people wonder if the former San Francisco 49er has anything left in the tank after mediocre seasons over the last few years and after being traded to the Washington Commanders for a late-round pick.
Samuel hasn't put up a 1,000-yard receiving season since the 2021 season when he was named a first-team All-Pro. Concerns of weight and effectiveness grew as much as last season and forced San Fran's hand to kick off the 2025 offseason.
It's why Washington was able to acquire him for just a fifth-round pick. The hope is that the Commanders are able to get a newly motivated receiver which appears to be the case with the veteran.
"I'm very motivated," Samuel said. "I'm just ready to get back to work. I'm just ready to get around a group of guys, meet with the players and we just go from there."
Samuel joins a receiver room with Terry McLaurin leading the way. The are going to be catching passes from the reigning offensive rookie of the year Jayden Daniels. While Samuel has never worked with the star quarterback before, he's heard plenty from Daniels' former college receiver in Brandon Aiyulk.
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"This is what my boy is going to do, this is what my boy is going to do," Aiyuk told Samuel who relayed to reporters. "He came to the league and played incredibly well after winning the Heisman. All of Aiyuk's predictions came true."
"Just to see him grow and see how well he played last year I was like, man why not try to come over here and help in any aspect that I can."
Washington's offense took home some massive upgrades in the offseason this year. Only time will tell if those moved end up working out in the end, though.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.