Bills OC gives glowing endorsement of new WR: 'He's extremely bright'

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady gave a strong endorsement to recently signed wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

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

It’s an aphorism that, while perhaps a bit cynical, rings true in several walks of life—”it’s about who you know.”

It’s a saying that certainly relates to professional football, though generally not with a nepotistic connotation; players who make the NFL certainly deserve to be there and, when afforded the opportunity, sometimes choose to enter a situation that reunites them with a familiar coach, scheme, or setting.

Curtis Samuel opted to link with a familiar face in the 2024 NFL offseason, signing a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills to reunite with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The play-caller and wideout have a pre-established rapport, as Brady worked with Samuel as offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in 2020; the receiver set new career highs in receiving and scrimmage yards that season, notching 851 and 1,051, respectively.

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The two haven’t worked with each other since; Samuel departed Carolina after the 2020 season while Brady was fired midway through the 2021 season. Their respective career paths have intersected again at One Bills Drive, with Brady, who is now the offensive coordinator of the Bills, again having the opportunity to scheme open the versatile speedster.

It’s an advantageous opportunity for Samuel—not only is he reuniting with a coordinator he demonstrably clicks with, but he figures to play a prominent role in a Buffalo receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason. Throw in the fact that Samuel will be catching passes from a former All-Pro quarterback in Josh Allen, and one can see that the makings of a potential breakout are there.

And the 27-year-old is already making an impact with his new team. Brady spoke about Samuel while speaking to reporters ahead of a Tuesday OTA practice in Orchard Park, describing his versatility and willingness to adapt as something that sets him apart from his peers.

TOUCHDOWN

WHAT ON EARTH

Curtis Samuel with the magic act catching the deep ball between THREE defenders AND the back judge.

WHAT. HOW?!#HTTC | @CurtisSamuel4__ pic.twitter.com/UMHHYHhmKV

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) November 6, 2022

“I think a big thing, not necessarily with Curtis, just with all guys, sometimes you sit there and you have a vision of how they were used, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way that they can be used,” Brady said. “A lot of times, we just see a guy, and it’s like, hey, what’s the vision you have for a player? And it’s like, well, I just saw it on tape, so that’s the vision. 

“What’s exciting about a guy like Curtis, when I was with him in Carolina, there were certain things that he hadn’t done prior, we had an injury to our running back position and were like, you know what, Curtis can do this. Or you know what, let’s put Curtis outside, and he was able to adapt and adjust to that.”

Brady used Samuel in a variety of ways during their sole season together in Carolina; the wideout logged 658 offensive snaps that year, per PFF, with 399 coming from the slot, 177 from out wide, and another 70 coming from the backfield. The 70 snaps from the running back spot remains a career-high for the receiver.

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Samuel was able to partially put that versatility on display throughout his three years with the Washington Commanders, but inconsistent quarterback play prevented him from ever establishing himself as a premier offensive threat. He still has that positional versatility, per Brady, rounding out his skill set with a team-first mindset that makes him an asset to any club.

“Same type of football player,” Brady said. “He’s extremely bright. He can play any of the positions—play inside, play outside, play in the backfield. Whatever he needs to do. I don’t see any difference in the style of play, one of the best blockers I’ve been around. The more Curtis Samuels that are on your football team, the better.”

Samuel projects as more of a traditional wide receiver than “gadget player” in Buffalo, but he has the versatility to be used on the occasional trick play. With Samuel lined up alongside the best quarterback he’s ever played with in Allen, expect Brady to scheme up another career year for him in 2024.