Deebo Samuel Sr.'s future with the Washington Commanders remains a hot topic of discussion among the fan base. They are divided about whether the versatile wide receiver should be re-signed or not. Although he stated a desire to remain with the club, nothing is set in stone right now.
There isn't much longer to wait. The legal tampering window is fast approaching, and the Commanders will make up their mind about Samuel's status with the franchise long before then. He performed well following his trade to the organization, but he'll be expensive to extend, and he's also on the wrong side of 30 now.
The former South Carolina standout is a nice complementary piece. Samuel might not even reach his All-Pro heights again, but there should be a market for him. One NFL analyst believes the Commanders should let him test it without much resistance.
NFL analyst urges Commanders to let Deebo Samuel Sr. walk in free agency
Douglas Fritz of Clutch Points thought the Commanders should wave goodbye to Samuel. The analyst cited the pass-catcher's diminishing skills after the catch and Washington's need to get faster as reasons Peters should go in a different direction.
"This is another guy who performed admirably, but also another past-his-prime example. At age 30, [Deebo] Samuel isn’t going to separate from defenders very well. He did stay relatively healthy, appearing in 16 games. And he caught 72 passes for 727 yards and five scores. But that 10.1 yards-per-reception average is just not impressive. It was the lowest of his NFL career. Samuel has clearly lost a step. And for a team looking to get faster, they don’t need a mud bog at the WR2 position."Douglas Fritz
Obviously, this comes down to money. Samuel will want to be paid. It's probably the final chance he'll have of making major money, so the wideout will be eager to maximize it. The Commanders could make him an offer, but that is also in doubt when one considers how Peters managed Terry McLaurin's contract situation last summer.
He was past 30, but McLaurin was also still performing to elite standards. Peters didn't want to pay him top-tier money and only agreed to an extension when it benefited the team. If he acts like this with a franchise cornerstone, how will he approach the Samuel negotiations?
One would assume, not favorably.
The Commanders only gave up a fifth-round pick for Samuel, so there is no outright obligation to re-sign him. And as Fritz stated, there is a desperate need to bring in younger, more dynamic talent across the board.
Keeping Samuel around has its benefits. Still, nobody would be shedding any tears if he were allowed to walk in favor of a new adventure.