Bills focused on 'maximizing' the 'potential' of underused offseason signing

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke on Monday about getting the most out of wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

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The Buffalo Bills’ wide receivers have become a popular topic of conversation in Western New York given the receiving corps' recent lack of production, the statistical black hole manifesting again in Week 5 in the form of just four combined catches on 18 total targets.

Head coach Sean McDermott spoke about the position group during his Monday media availability, admitting that there was internal "concern" about the unit's production before specifically speaking about offseason signing Curtis Samuel, who has been an offensive non-factor through five games.

“It is a concern of ours," McDermott said. "That’s something we have to look at. Curtis is a good football player, we know what he can do with the ball in his hands whether he’s running it or catching it. It is something that we need to look at to make sure that we are maximizing his potential.”

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Samuel, who inked a three-year, $24 million deal with the Bills in the offseason, has only touched the ball 12 times in five games, tallying 48 receiving yards and six rushing yards. He’s averaging a career-low 5.3 yards per catch, his longest play of the season being a 10-yard reception in Week 3. If Samuel remains on his current pace throughout the rest of the campaign, he is looking at roughly 30 receptions for 163 yards, which would, by a substantial margin, be career lows in a season in which many expected him to break out.

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Aiding in Samuel's lack of production is his usage. He's played on just 102 snaps through five games, a season-high 34 of which came in Week 5 when Khalil Shakir was injured. He's seen most of his snaps in the slot and has been frequently sent in pre-snap motion, with Buffalo attempting to get him the ball in creative or 'cute' ways; the problem with this is that Buffalo is rarely using him as a traditional receiver. It's as though he's only on the field when he's being used in motion or when a play is designed for him; his mere presence is an indicator for defenses that something is afoot. Joe Brady isn't utilizing his speed or route running ability in the intermediate or deep passing games, which is a boost the passing game could desperately use at this time.

With the lack of a No. 1 receiver in Buffalo and the weapons corps generally struggling, it would make sense to give Samuel more touches. He's currently second among Bills wideouts in reception percentage at 75%, behind Khalil Shakir at 94.7%.

It would be fair to expect an increase in Samuel's usage over the next few weeks as Buffalo figures out whether to sell the farm for an alpha receiver or readjust who is getting the ball.

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