Joe Brady: "Curtis Samuel Fits the Mold of What We're Looking For"

The Panthers are expecting a big year from young receiver Curtis Samuel

This offseason saw a lot of change to the Carolina Panthers roster as the team enters year one of the rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule.

One area of the roster that seems to be getting a lot of national attention heading into the 2020 season is wide receiver. The Panthers signed Robby Anderson, Keith Kirkwood, Seth Roberts, and Pharoh Cooper this offseason to free agent deals, which could ultimately give the Panthers the most depth at the position in the NFC South division. With D.J. Moore coming off of a big season and Robby Anderson now in the fold, one guy that many tend to forget is Curtis Samuel.

In 2019, Samuel was the team's third leading receiver with 54 receptions, 627 yards, and six touchdowns and finished second on the team in rushing. Yes, you read that correctly, rushing. The Panthers didn't have much depth at the running back position and had to get creative with keeping opposing defenses on their toes, so they got Samuel involved. He only totaled 19 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown, but it kept defenses honest, knowing that he was an option to run the ball.

Earlier this offseason, there were rumors floating around that Samuel was on the trading block. However, the team never actively tried to trade Samuel, per Joe Person of The Athletic. With Samuel remaining a Panther, this offense has a plethora of weapons for Teddy Bridgewater to use. Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Joe Brady talked about the importance of having Samuel in the offense.

"Curtis is going to be critical to our success. I think Curtis is a playmaker, I think he fits the mold of what we're looking for in this type of offense. He's a guy that you can utilize all around the field and you get the ball in his hands and good things happen. You saw stuff last year that shows he can be a big play wide receiver down the field, getting the ball in space and I'm just excited for him to take the next leap."

With Moore and Anderson soaking up all of the attention, it allows Samuel to be the biggest beneficiary. He won't likely be the top target in the offense as that role will certainly be assumed to one of the two aforementioned names, but having those two dynamic playmakers lining up alongside him should create more opportunities in the passing game for him.

As Samuel enters the final year of his rookie deal, it's important for him to play above expectations. If that's the case, he can use this season's numbers as leverage in negotiations to re-sign with the Panthers. Other teams around the league will be interested in him, so having leverage is something that Samuel will be playing for this fall.

Do you think Curtis Samuel will have a big season in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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