Re-sign or Wave Goodbye: WR Curtis Samuel
With the start of NFL free agency just around the corner, we will take a look at each Carolina Panther who has an expired contract and breakdown how they performed this past season and whether or not they are worthy of another deal with the Panthers.
Pos: WR
Name: Curtis Samuel
Height: 5'11" Weight: 195 lbs
FA Status: Unrestricted
2020 Stats: 77 rec, 851 yards, 3 TDs | 41 car, 200 yards, 2 TDs
Analysis: When you have receivers like DJ Moore and Robby Anderson on your roster, you would think that it would be rather challenging for a third wide receiver to shine. For Curtis Samuel, that was not the case. Although he did not go over 1,000 yards receiving as those two did, he did obtain over 1,000 scrimmage yards thanks to his versatility and earning some snaps at running back. During training camp, Matt Rhule and his offensive assistants toyed with the idea of using Samuel in the backfield. Once Christian McCaffrey went down, the Panthers lacked explosiveness out of the backfield and it was a no-brainer to start giving Samuel a few carries per game and he excelled.
At his regular position, Samuel thrived and quickly emerged as Teddy Bridgewater's favorite target on 3rd downs and in clutch situations. Everyone knew where the ball was going, yet no one could stop him. Samuel's quickness off the ball helps him gain separation early in the play, allowing him to find space in the open field. With that said, Samuel is not just a speedy receiver that does all of his damage in space. He is a tough, physical receiver that plays bigger than his size would indicate which helps him make contested catches. The biggest question mark he had coming into the season was whether or not he could become more reliable. In the first three years of his career, Samuel had trouble with dropping the ball but he cleaned that up in a major way in 2020. As a matter of fact, Samuel finished No. 1 in catch percentage (79.4%) with those who had 40 or more targets on the year.
Re-sign or Wave Goodbye: Wave Goodbye
As much as the Panthers would like to bring Samuel back and as much sense it would make, it just doesn't seem possible with the current salary cap situation. The team's main priority should be finding a way to get OT Taylor Moton back in Carolina and if they are able to get a deal done with him, there's not going to be any room to re-sign Samuel. If the Panthers had the money, it would be a no-brainer to bring him back. Unfortunately, that's not the reality.
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