Deebo Samuel gives Commanders a troubling glimpse of what they discarded

The Washington Commanders didn't make much effort to keep wide receiver Deebo Samuel around this offseason. He was also on the proverbial free-agent scrap heap much longer than expected, turning his free-agent experience into something of a nightmare.

Everything worked out well for Samuel in the end. And based on his efforts in the first game of his second stint with the San Francisco 49ers, there is still plenty of juice left in the tank.

The Niners put the NFL on notice with a convincing win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. It was a shocking result, especially considering the margin of victory and how much Sean McVay's squad was being hyped up heading into the season.

Deebo Samuel instantly reminded the Commanders what they might miss

But for Samuel, it represented a chance to lay down an early marker.

Consider it a mission successfully accomplished.

Despite returning to San Francisco pretty late in the summer, Samuel is well-versed in Kyle Shanahan's schematic concepts. It showed, with the wideout quickly emerging as a dependable asset over the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, and the Rams had no real answer.

Samuel isn't the explosive dual-threat with an All-Pro ceiling anymore, and that's fine. The South Carolina product is efficient and dependable, which is precisely what the Niners needed with Ricky Pearsall missing through injury and Brandon Aiyuk all but out of the league.

The versatile pass-catcher brought in six receptions from seven targets for 48 receiving yards and a touchdown. Samuel's only rushing carry went for 12 yards, and he also brought two kickoffs back for an average of 37 yards (74 total).

Not bad for someone the league completely disregarded when he hit the open market.

Commanders moved on from Deebo Samuel, and the pressure is on others to produce

Washington got decent returns from Samuel after securing his services via trade last year. Things didn't go as planned for the team, and general manager Adam Peters went in a different direction. It happens, but it also gives the veteran extra motivation to remind people who he is.

And Samuel is off to the best possible start in familiar surroundings.

As for the Commanders? Hopes are high that their new-look wideout unit can also make their presence felt, starting this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Terry McLaurin is healthy. Four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs is a major addition. Third-round rookie Antonio Williams has promise, and Treylon Burks could be in line for more responsibilities after being sold on offensive coordinator David Blough's vision to stick around.

Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, and the returning Dyami Brown are also looking to make waves. And if all else fails, veteran Van Jefferson Jr. and undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley are on the practice squad after strong summers.

That might suffice. But if it falls flat, Peters might regret removing Samuel from the equation without trying to sort out a new contract.

It's early days. People always overreact after just one game, for good or bad. At the same time, there is a good chance Samuel can get even better once he truly finds his groove after missing so much time over the offseason waiting for his next chance.

And sometimes, the revenge factor is all a player needs to come out on the other end smiling.

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