Bills OC Gives Rave Support for New WR: ‘He’s Extremely Bright’

It’s an aphorism that, while perhaps a little cynical, rings true in many areas of life: “it’s about who you know.”

It’s a saying that certainly relates to professional football, but generally doesn’t have nepotistic overtones; the players who make the NFL certainly deserve to be there and, when given the opportunity, sometimes choose to enter a situation that reunites them with a familiar coach, scheme or setting.

Curtis Samuel chose to team up with a familiar face in the 2024 NFL offseason, signing a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills to reunite with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The signal-caller and wideout have a pre-established relationship, as Brady worked with Samuel as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2020; The receiver set new career highs in receiving and scrimmage yards this season, scoring 851 and 1,051, respectively.

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The two have not worked together since; Samuel left Carolina after the 2020 season while Brady was fired midway through the 2021 season. Their respective career paths intersected again at One Bills Drive, with Brady, who is now the Bills’ offensive coordinator, having to new opportunity to open up the versatile speedster.

It’s an advantageous opportunity for Samuel: not only does he find a coordinator with whom he clearly gets along, but he figures to play a key role in a Buffalo receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis during the offseason. Add in the fact that Samuel will be catching passes from a former All-Pro quarterback in Josh Allen, and we can see the makings of a potential breakout are there.

And the 27-year-old is already making an impact with his new team. Brady spoke about Samuel while speaking to reporters before an OTA practice Tuesday at Orchard Park, describing his versatility and willingness to adapt as something that sets him apart from his peers.

“I think it’s important, not necessarily with Curtis, just with all the guys, sometimes you sit there and you have a vision of how they were used, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way they can be used,” Brady said. “A lot of times we just see a guy, and we’re like, Hey, what’s your vision for a player? And it’s like, well, I just saw it on tape, so that’s the vision.

“The exciting thing about a guy like Curtis, when I was with him in Carolina, there were some things he hadn’t done before, we had an injury at our running back position and we were saying, you know what, Curtis can do that . Or you know what, let’s put Curtis out there, and he was able to adapt and adapt to that.

Brady used Samuel in various ways during their one season together in Carolina; the wideout recorded 658 offensive snaps that year, per PFF, with 399 coming from the slot, 177 from the outside and another 70 coming from the backfield. The running back’s 70 snaps remain a career high for the receiver.

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Samuel was able to partially showcase that versatility throughout his three years with the Washington Commanders, but inconsistent quarterback play prevented him from establishing himself as a top offensive threat. He still has that positional versatility, according to Brady, complementing his skillset with a team-oriented mindset that makes him an asset to any club.

“Same type of football player,” Brady said. “He is extremely bright. He can play any position: play inside, play outside, play in the backfield. Whatever he has to do. I don’t see any difference in the style of play, he’s one of the best blockers I’ve been around. The more Curtis Samuels you have on your football teams, the better.

Samuel profiles more as a traditional wide receiver than a “gadget player” in Buffalo, but he has the versatility to be used in occasional trick plays. With Samuel lined up alongside the best quarterback he’s ever played with in Allen, expect Brady to put together another career year for him in 2024.