Philadelphia Eagles: Curtis Samuel could be the next Darren Sproles

For the price of a Day 3 pick, Curtis Samuel could revitalize the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense and replace Darren Sproles’ do-it-all offensive production.

It feels like the Philadelphia Eagles have been linked to every high-profile wide receiver under the sun so far this offseason.

From free agents like Robby Anderson and Breshad Perriman to trade targets like Brandin Cooks, if you catch passes on the outside or in the slot, chances are the Eagles were pegged as a potential landing spot at one point or another.

Curtis Samuel is the latest name in this seemingly never-ending list.

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On paper, Samuel is the kind of receiver fans, scouts, and pundits have been clamoring for since DeSean Jackson went down in Week 2 of the 2019 season. He’s beyond fast (4.31 40), dynamic, and a capable return man in pressing situations. With Jackson and Alshon Jeffery locked into starting spots on the outside, procuring Samuel from the Carolina Panthers would give the team a name-brand receiver to deploy out of the slot.

But here’s the thing about Samuel, he’s not a very good wide receiver.

Since being selected 40th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Samuel has never amassed more than 627 receiving yards, caught more than 60 percent of the passes thrown his way, or averaged more than 40 yards a game over a single season of action. He was also fairly underwhelming when asked to return kicks in 2017 and 2018, as evidenced by a below-average 21.5 yards-per-return average with a long of only 33 yards.

And unfortunately, that probably won’t change in 2020 even with the addition of offensive guru Joe Brady as the Panthers’ new OC.

You see, Brady’s prolific – generational even – LSU offense relied on a big-bodied receiver (Justin Jefferson) as their primary option deployed out of the slot. Like Samuel, Jefferson is fast but made his bones as a sure-handed safety blanket for Joe Burrow across the middle of the field.

Since 2018, Samuel has dropped nine balls and has only caught 93 of the 170 passes thrown his way.

Simply put, Samuel is not – and may never be – a legit NFL wide receiver, but that shouldn’t be too surprising.

At Ohio State, Samuel didn’t play wide receiver. He was classified as an H-back – the same role played by Percy Harvin when he played for Urban Meyer at Florida. As a junior, Samuel caught 74 passes for 865 yards and seven touchdowns, rushed the ball 87 times for 771 yards and eight touchdowns. Factor in six punt returns for 19 yards and Samuel finished out the season with 1,655 all-purpose yards.

Samuel’s 128.8 all-purpose yards a game in 2017 was the most of any player in the Big 10, an impressive feat when you consider Saquon Barkley was still kicking it at Penn State.

At his best, Samuel was an unpredictable chess piece that made opposing defensive coordinators account for his presence on every play. If the box was stacked, he could motion outside and burn a linebacker down the seams. If the defense went light and optimized their defensive backs in a nickel or dime package, Samuel could kick inside and gouge the middle of the field at a 7.5 yards-per-carry clip.

Heck, Samuel even made a handful of highlight-reel plays on the jet sweep, where his speed and wiggle made him a particularly tricky tackle in the open field.

That’s what’s so confounding about Samuel’s potential as a pro: To truly transcend the ‘gimmick’ tag that has hounded him as a pro, Samuel needs to find a creative offensive coordinator who can utilize his unique talents as a do-it-all offensive weapon.

Fortunately, Doug Pederson may just be the man for the job.

In 2016, the Eagles’ top offensive option wasn’t Nelson Agholor, Ryan Mathews, or even Zach Ertz, but dynamic, future Hall-of-Famer receiver/running back Darren Sproles. Under Pederson’s watch, Sproles has his second-best season as a pro from an all-purpose yards standpoint and made his third (and final) trip to the Pro Bowl as a returner/offensive weapon.

Samuel could be used in a similar way.

Granted, Samuel probably shouldn’t run the ball double-digit times with much regularity, a feat Sproles accomplished three times in 2016. He is, however, the kind of player who can turn double-digit offensive touches a game into 100-yards from scrimmage week-in and week-out.

I mean, could you even imagine how deadly Samuel could be in the screen game if deployed in the backfield next to Carson Wentz? Pederson’s patented RPO-offensive would be borderline unstoppable with a do-it-all receiver/runner like Samuel feasting on defensive mismatches.

Ironically, Samuel could have the same impact on the Eagles’ offense as his current Panthers teammate, Christian McCaffrey, has in Carolina.

And here’s the best part: Samuel probably won’t cost an arm and a leg to acquire.

With all but one year of his rookie contract already spent, Samuel could probably be had for a fourth-round pick. With three at their disposal in the 2020 NFL Draft, why not take a chance on a 23-year-old with massive upside and a tantalizing skill set?

Sproles cost a fifth-round pick to acquire in 2014 and that trade may go down as one of the better moves of Howie Roseman‘s career.

Next. 3 Day 3 slot receivers with starter upside. dark

Look, I’ll be honest with you, Curtis Samuel is not for everyone. He’s not a plug-and-play slot receiver who could start for 32-32 NFL teams. Incorporating him into an offense is tough, but the reward for figuring it out could be a player capable of recording 1,600 all-purpose yards a year as a team’s secondary receiver, running back, and return man. For a team like the Philadelphia Eagles with a history of optimizing offensive weapons’ abilities in creative ways, that upside is certainly worth a Day 3 gamble.

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