NFL writer thinks you should root for this overlooked Bills WR

An NFL.com writer has identified wide receiver Curtis Samuel as the Buffalo Bills' player worth cheering on in the 2024 NFL season.

Oct 9, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (10) runs out of the tunnel onto the field prior to the Commanders' game against the Tennessee Titans at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Few story arcs in professional football are more engaging than that of a late-career breakout—watching a generally known, but overlooked player finally make a considerable impact when placed in a favorable situation is as entertaining as it is gratifying, an easy-to-root-for story that’s simply fun to watch unfold.

If one writer is to be believed, a story of this kin could unfold in Western New York this fall.

NFL.com writer Tom Blair recently penned an article identifying one player to root for from each AFC team, circling recently signed wide receiver Curtis Samuel as the Buffalo Bills’ player worth cheering on. 

“Samuel has lived firmly outside of the spotlight through most of his career,” Blair wrote. “Buffalo might be facing an uncertain immediate future, but it's nothing compared to the general futility Samuel dealt with for most of his time in Carolina and Washington. Now he can be the veteran offensive linchpin who helps Josh Allen and Co. continue to compete even after shedding players like Stefon Diggs. 

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“As much as I love a good journeyman career marked by respectable production in chaotic environments, it would be great to see Samuel truly unlocked by offensive coordinator Joe Brady, under whom the receiver hit personal highs with the Panthers in 2020 (118 touches, 1,051 scrimmage yards).” 

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (4) walks to the locker room following pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Samuel, as Blair notes, hasn’t had the most productive professional career, perhaps a product of his dysfunctional surroundings; he hasn’t usurped 1,000 receiving yards in a single season since being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, notching over 1,000 scrimmage yards only once. The versatile speedster, however, hasn’t been afforded consistent quarterback play, with Carolina and Washington both cycling through signal-callers in recent seasons.

The 27-year-old Samuel inked a three-year, $24 million deal with the Bills in the offseason to join forces with the best quarterback he’s ever shared a field with in Josh Allen. He also reunites with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, whom Blair notes called the plays in Carolina throughout Samuel’s most productive professional season. 

The wideout has the opportunity to carve out a rather significant role in a revamped Buffalo receiving corps that parted ways with Gabriel Davis and perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs in the offseason; Samuel will have to compete with the likes of Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman for targets, but given his demonstrated comfort in a Brady scheme, there are obvious reasons for optimism, something that makes the versatile weapon an easy player to root for. 

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