Lions free agent profile: Is Curtis Samuel a viable option for the long haul?

As you might know, the Lions receiving corps is as barren and desolate as a desert with no water in sight. You hope to find something there, but you are left with sorrow and disappointment. The Lions top three receivers, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola are free agents, leaving the Lions with only Quintez Cephus and Geronimo Allison receivers on the roster.

There are speculations that the Lions are going to franchise tag Golladay costing the Lions $15.5 million to keep him off the free-agent market where he will surely be coveted around the league. The best guess will be if the Lions view him as a staple piece moving forward with the “retool,” they will apply it in hopes of working out an extension. If the Lions don’t see him as part of the future, then there should be no reason to allocate the resources and go after receivers in free agency and the draft.

Suppose the Lions attack the need in free agency. In that case, they could get a good deal on the second-tier receiver considering how saturated the market is on top with the like of Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Will Fuller, and JuJu Smith-Schuster commanding top dollar in the receiver market.
One particular receiver the Lions could get for a good price, help open up the offense on multiple levels and become a catalyst for the team during the retool long haul…

Carolina Panthers receiver Curtis Samuel

The former Ohio State dual-threat was tagged in the 2nd round by the Carolina Panthers in 2017 after recording over 1,000 yards between receiving and rushing in his collegiate career. He has progressively improved through his four-year NFL career, topping new highs in receiving and rushing yards each season. The trust he brought to the Panthers organization solidified his place as one of the integral chess pieces of the Panthers’ offense.

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady was able to tap into Samuel’s potential last season, lining him up everywhere you can think on offense allowing him to catch an impressive 85.7 of his targets and 17 third-down reception-both ranking third in the league. With the uptick in usage, Samuel showed off his best attributes of speed and elusiveness, forcing 16 missed tackles- the only receiver to achieve more than ten.

Samuel could not have been picked a better time to hit free agency, nailing career highs in receiving yards (851) and rushing yards (200) while being the No 3 option behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson. He put up this kind of numbers even with an inconsistent quarterback roulette between Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, and Kyle Allen through Samuel’s career.

With his versatility, speed, playmaking ability, he is a threat who could make something out of nothing, especially in the YAC category, and that is exactly what Jared Goff thrives with at receiver. He benefited from having not just one but two of the top YAC receivers in the last two years in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. If the Lions want to make Goff feel right at home, Samuel could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Samuel’s production speaks for itself, but another attribute that could draw the Lions attention is his age. With the Lions looking to be in the long-haul of building up the franchise, they might not look into short veteran deals immediately instead look for players who they can anchor around. He will be 25 by the time the 2021 season starts and still be productive by the time the Lions will be looking to compete fully.

The Panthers just recently cleared over $20 million in cap space, giving the notion that either they are looking to resign key players like Samuel, or they are going all-in on the DeShaun Watson sweepstakes. It remains to be seen which direction the Panthers are heading towards. Still, Panthers writer Joseph Person from The Athletic gives Samuel only a 35 percent chance of returning to Charlotte, saying Samuel will be an attractive target because of his unique skill set and could drive up the cost for his services.

Depending on where you look, Samuel’s contract projection ranges between $8-$12 million. If Samuel’s market gets driven up, the Lions might be hesitant to pay top dollar and instead turn their sights to free agents or the draft. Now, if the market is low, the Lions could pounce on a proven receiver and let him become an anchor through this rebuild.

Listen to Panther’s head coach Matt Rhule talk about Samuel. The way he describes him as a player seems like a perfect fit for what the Lions new regime is looking for in their players.

The Lions have been trying to find a gadget-type player to create mismatches for some time and most recently with Jamal Agnew. The experiment did not go how the previous regime originally intended and ultimately did not gain any traction, with Agnew only recording 122 offensive yards last year. With Dan Campbell’s mismatch approach of putting up their best against the opponent’s worst, it is not out of the question that could look towards someone like Samuel to create the ideal one-on-one matchups that Lions can reap the benefits from.

It might be hard to see which direction the Lions go this early in the game. Do they believe they can start competing immediately, or will they play the long game and build for the future? No matter the answer to this question, Samuel could be a perfect candidate for either scenario. He is a true playmaker with his ability to play each receiver role and equally effective in the backfield.

Even though his price tag could rise, Samuel is young and could hit his prime by the time the Lions could be competitive. They can make an early investment for the future, and bank on Samuel being productive not just now but for the future and get an early jump in the rebuild process.