The Washington Commanders made their intentions clear right out of the gate this offseason. Adam Peters wasn't going to sit around and wait for things to fall into his lap. He was aggressive and acted with conviction to land his preferred targets.
This began by acquiring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. via trade from the San Francisco 49ers. The Commanders coughed up a fifth-round pick to jump the queue, which is minimal compensation if the versatile weapon returns to his Pro Bowl-caliber form within offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's schematic concepts.
It looks like a win-win for all parties, especially after the Commanders guaranteed Samuel's salary and added $3 million more in incentives. It's a contract year for the former second-round pick, who's highly motivated to silence his doubters and prove San Francisco made a grave mistake in letting him take his chances elsewhere.
The move was well-received among fans and analysts alike. Samuel is a high-caliber performer at the peak of his powers who believes there is a lot of good football left. Having Jayden Daniels under center and Terry McLaurin opposite him will help greatly, so expectations are high that this can make a big difference when competitive action commences once again.
Commanders given encouraging grade for Deebo Samuel trade by NFL analyst
Kevin Patra from NFL.com added his name to the ever-growing list of those who approved the bold trade. The analyst gave this transaction a B-plus grade, outlining Samuel's potential within Kingsbury's offense and the similarities between this move and the one made by the Houston Texans for their NFL Rookie of the Year last spring.
"This move is much like Houston's acquisition of Stefon Diggs last year; Washington is getting "a motivated" player who will match well with WR1 Terry McLaurin. Taking on Samuel's big $17.46 million cap figure for 2024 and giving up a pick dings the grade slightly for Washington, but another playmaker for Jayden Daniels was never going to come cheap. The recent contract revision that added $3 million in incentives was a savvy move by the front office, adding another carrot for Samuel to chase."Kevin Patra
Stefon Diggs' move to the Texans ended prematurely through injury. Perhaps the most telling factor behind quarterback C.J. Stroud's sophomore regression centered on their offensive line's failings. That is something the Commanders are looking to avoid after spending significant assets to acquire five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Houston.
What Stroud makes of that move is anyone's guess, but the Commanders won't care. They are focused firmly on maximizing Daniels' rookie contract before things get much more expensive. Peters knows something about that after doing the same in San Francisco with Brock Purdy, so this experience should serve him well in the coming years.
There is some risk attached to Samuel's arrival. He's taken a lot of punishment throughout his career and the South Carolina graduate's production dipped in 2024. The Niners' willingness to eat $34.1 million in dead money suggests they believe his performance downturn was the start of something more concerning.
What's important for Samuel is changing that narrative in Washington. If he accomplishes this feat, it'll give the team's postseason aspirations a major shot in the arm.