New England Patriots should make Curtis Samuel a priority in free agency

It is about to be an extremely interesting offseason for the New England Patriots. The first season without Tom Brady did not exactly go according to plan and the Pats have a lot of work to do if they expect to become serious competitors again. There are plenty of free agents on the open market who would make sense for the team, but it is wide receiver Curtis Samuel who stands tall as the most obvious fit for the team.

The Patriots lack offensive playmakers in a big way. They certainly need to figure out their quarterback situation, but if Bill Belichick and company cannot surround a new quarterback with some serious offensive playmakers, it will not matter. Their current situation on the offensive side of the ball is ugly and if they do not spend significant resources to address it, nothing is going to change no matter who is under center.

Samuel spent this past season as the No. 3 receiver in Carolina, playing in nearly 64% of the team’s snaps behind Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore. While Samuel was essentially a part-time player for the Panthers, he was a dynamic playmaker for the team who was able to make a consistent impact.

In 2020, Samuel hauled in 77 receptions (on 97 targets) for 851 yards and three touchdowns. He was also an impact player as a ball carrier, adding on 200 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Samuel is an extremely quick and explosive player who can impact the game in a variety of ways. He is a quick and decisive route runner who instantly separates from the defense out of the slot and is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. Samuel is a naturally elusive athlete who is extremely slippery in space and would immediately become the most dangerous offensive weapon on the New England Patriots.

Samuel is a perfect fit for the modern NFL and will undoubtedly receive a ton of attention on the open market. That being said, the Patriots have a ton of cap space to work with this offseason and can afford to get aggressive with the right player. Samuel obviously would not fix all of their offensive issues but adding him to the mix would undoubtedly be a step in the right direction.