Curtis Samuel - Pro Football Rumors

Washington To Sign WR Curtis Samuel

March 17th, 2021 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Curtis Samuel has found his new home. The free agent wideout and former Panther is signing with Washington, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report (via Twitter). Samuel received a three-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and Joseph Person of The Athletic tweets that Samuel can earn up to $35.25MM, with $24.5MM guaranteed.

Washington has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Samuel throughout the offseason. After all, WFT head coach and former Panthers HC Ron Rivera has shown a propensity for recruiting players from his old team, and Rapoport notes that Rivera actually tried to trade for Samuel last season (Twitter link). Washington struggled to find a second receiver to pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin in 2020, but now, the offense will feature two of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL, both of whom were members of Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class.

Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, has progressively improved his numbers during each of his four NFL seasons. That culminated in a 2020 campaign where he finished with a career-high 1,051 yards from scrimmage to go along with five touchdowns. Samuel also garnered a career-high 41 rushing attempts, showcasing his ability to serve as a Swiss Army Knife-type weapon.

WFT is still on the lookout for a long-term answer at quarterback — the agelessness of new signee Ryan Fitzpatrick notwithstanding — but the club is quietly assembling a strong foundation of skill-position talent. McLaurin, Samuel, and recent draftees Kelvin Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden give Washington an intriguing young WR group, while 2020 third-round running back Antonio Gibson demonstrated plenty of promise in his rookie campaign.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have spent the early days of free agency fortifying their offensive and defensive fronts. Carolina remains in hot pursuit of Deshaun Watson, and even with Samuel no longer in the mix, the team still has a fair amount of skill position talent with the likes of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Latest On Panthers’ COVID-19 Situation

December 11th, 2020 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dec. 11: Good news for Carolina, as Samuel, Thompson, and Brown have all been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and were back at practice today. They will all be available for the club’s tilt with the Broncos on Sunday.

Dec. 8: The Panthers are now a team to monitor regarding COVID-19. They placed eight players on their reserve/COVID-19 list this week, after two tested positive, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Carolina moved several big names — D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown and Greg Little — along with punter Michael Palardy, defensive tackle Zach Kerr and wide receiver Ishmael Hyman to their coronavirus list this week. At least two of these players will miss Sunday’s game against the Broncos, and the rest of the lot will at least miss some practice time this week. It is not yet certain which Panthers tested positive.

While this is certainly an issue, the Panthers do not appear to have the makings of an outbreak. They reported no new positive COVID-19 tests Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The Panthers closed their facility after the positive tests but are scheduled to reopen it Wednesday.

Carolina will host Denver on Sunday. The Broncos saw their bye rescheduled at the 11th hour earlier this season, when the Patriots encountered positive tests. With no teams having more byes, after the Panthers and Buccaneers concluded theirs in Week 13, the NFL’s options would be limited. However, as the recent Ravens outbreak showed, the league will pull out all the stops to ensure games are now played in their scheduled week.

Panthers Wrap Draft Class

July 21st, 2020 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have signed their entire 2020 NFL Draft class, per a club announcement. First-round pick Derrick Brown got the party started in the spring, but the rest waited until this week to put pen to paper. The full rundown:

1-7: Derrick Brown, DT (Auburn): Signed
2-38: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE (Penn State): Signed
2-64: Jeremy Chinn, DB (Southern Illinois): Signed
4-113: Troy Pride Jr., CB (Notre Dame): Signed
5-152: Kenny Robinson, S (West Virginia): Signed
6-184: Bravvion Roy, DT (Baylor): Signed
7-221: Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, CB (Florida International): Signed

Gross-Matos stood out with 17.5 sacks and 37 hurries over the last two seasons, plus solid work against the run. On the flipside, some evaluators had concerns about his bulk. He’ll have to put some more muscle on his 6’5″, 265-pound frame in order to be a reliable three-down defensive lineman.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers say they’ll be hanging on to wide receiver Curtis Samuel, despite an offseason full of trade rumors.

Panthers OC: Curtis Samuel To Be Key Part Of Offense

June 24th, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The subject of trade rumors this offseason, Curtis Samuel generated interest around the draft. Teams consistently contacted the Panthers about their contract-year wideout, but he remains in Carolina.

Despite the Panthers signing ex-Matt Rhule Temple receiver Robby Anderson and rostering Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, the rebuilding team plans to make room for Samuel to play an essential role in its new offense.

“Curtis is going to be critical to success,” Panthers OC Joe Brady said, via the Charlotte Observer’s Alaina Getzenberg. “I wish I could have had an opportunity to be out at practices and whatnot, and Curtis is the one that I can’t wait to see him do what he does on the field. Curtis is a playmaker. He fits the mold of what we’re looking for in this type of offense, a guy that you can utilize all around the field and get the ball in the hands and good things happen.

“I think you saw stuff last year that shows that he can be a big-play wide receiver, down the field. We’re getting the ball in space, and I’m excited for him to take the next leap.”

Samuel sticking in Carolina for the 2020 season would give the Panthers an interesting array of weaponry. The former second-round pick established career-high numbers in catches (54), receiving yards (627) and touchdowns (six) last season. However, the Panthers added both Seth Roberts and ex-Saint Keith Kirkwood this offseason, forming a crowded receiving corps.

The Panthers have moved on from several cornerstone players this offseason, so a Samuel deal should not be ruled out for a team not expected to be a contender this season. But for now the Panthers are planning to have him in the fold as a flashy fourth option.

Panthers Open To Trading Curtis Samuel?

April 24th, 2020 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have been “consistently” receiving calls from clubs interested in wide receiver Curtis Samuel, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. So far, they haven’t been keen on the idea of trading Samuel, but Rapoport says it’s worth monitoring in case they get an offer that’s too good to pass up.

Right now, the Panthers seem intent on keeping Samuel and the rest of their primary weapons in place for new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. At the same time, the former second-round pick is heading into his contract year, so the Panthers could be swayed if they’re skittish about the cost of his next deal.

Samuel is coming off of a career year with 54 catches for 627 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also an excellent bargain: This year, he’s slated to earn just $1.2MM in salary.

The Panthers want to hold on to Samuel, but they haven’t let sentimentality get in the way this offseason. They’ve also got other receivers behind D.J. Moore, thanks to the signings of Robby Anderson, Seth Roberts, and Pharoh Cooper.

Panthers Not Shopping Curtis Samuel

March 30th, 2020 at 11:06am CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers signed not only Robby Anderson but also Seth Roberts and Keith Kirkwood in free agency. Considering the high-profile players who have left the team this offseason, it would certainly not surprise if the Panthers looked to deal one of their Ron Rivera-era wide receivers.

While Matt Rhule‘s Panthers are believed to be open for business, they do not have Curtis Samuel on the trade block presently, Joseph Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Panthers are interested in keeping as many weapons as possible around for Teddy Bridgewater, Person adds.

Samuel is entering his contract year. The 2017 second-round pick now profiles as Carolina’s No. 3 wideout — behind Anderson and D.J. Moore. Considering Samuel’s $1.2MM 2020 salary, he would generate interest — even on a market that has seen the 2020 rookie receiver class affect veteran wideouts’ stock.

Samuel is coming off his best season, having caught a career-high 54 passes for 627 yards and six touchdowns. He has also contributed as a gadget-type player, logging 31 touches in the run game in his career.

This stands to be a key year for the Ohio State product, with Moore likely residing higher in Carolina’s extension queue and Anderson having an extensive history with Rhule from their Temple days. Samuel could be playing for a 2021 free agency payday. But for now, he will be expected to serve as an auxiliary option for Bridgewater in Joe Brady‘s offense.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Staley, Panthers, Samuel, Cowboys, Price

September 5th, 2018 at 10:41am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The few years preceding the dawn of the Kyle Shanahan era in San Francisco were dark times. The 49ers had three coaches in a three year span and experienced a lot of losing. The stress took a toll on many of the team’s veteran players, including longtime left tackle Joe Staley.

Staley, who’s been with the 49ers ever since he was taken in the first round back in 2007, revealed in a recent interview with Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle that he considered retirement amidst all the losing and coaching changes. It’s all behind him now, and he says he feels rejuvenated by the energy Shanahan has injected into the team, but it sounds like Staley very nearly walked away from the game.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Curtis Samuel, the Panthers‘ second round pick in 2017, underwent a procedure to fix an irregular heartbeat according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It will likely keep him out for at least the first week of the season and possibly longer.
The Raiders threw a wrench into the plans of the Cowboys when they claimed defensive tackle Brian Price off waivers, according to Todd Archer of ESPN (Twitter link). Archer writes that the team planned on re-signing Price when they placed Dante Jones on injured reserve, but that they never got the chance, and that they will now be searching for a new defensive tackle.
In case you missed it, despite not having much experience behind Dak Prescott, the Cowboys won’t be in the market for a backup quarterback.

Panthers Expect Long Rehab For Samuel

November 24th, 2017 at 3:48pm CST by Micah Powell

The excitement about the return of Greg Olsen was tempered, as the Panthers also placed rookie receiver Curtis Samuel on season-ending injured reserve. Samuel, who fractured his ankle vs. Miami, underwent successful surgery head coach Ron Rivera told reporters, including ESPN’s David Newton (Twitter link).

Rivera stated now that the surgery is complete, Samuel can expect a lengthy rehab before returning to the field. “It’s going to be a long rehab, obviously, especially because it happened this late in the season,” Rivera said. “But all indications are it went well.”

Since Carolina traded Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills at the deadline, the Ohio State product has seen his playing time increase as a featured receiver alongside Devin Funchess. Before suffering the injury, Samuel produced his best game of the season with five grabs on seven targets for 45 yards. He was praised by quarterback Cam Newton, who said he was “on the cusp,” and offensive coordinator Mike Shula said there were “lots of good things” from Samuel before sustaining the injury.

Samuel finished his season with 19 receptions for 115 yards and 64 rushing yards on four carries.

Panthers To Activate Greg Olsen, Place Curtis Samuel On IR

November 24th, 2017 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers’ passing game will be getting its skill-position centerpiece back. Greg Olsen will be activated in advance of Carolina’s Week 12 game against the Jets, Ron Rivera said Friday (via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, on Twitter).

Curtis Samuel will go on IR to make room on the roster.

Olsen has been out since Week 2 because of a fractured foot. The veteran tight end returned to practice just this week. The Panthers had a bye in Week 11. But after losing Samuel, the team will deploy another key pass-catcher — and its most reliable weapon of the past few seasons.

Olsen reeled off three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2014-16, so the NFC South-contending team will be better suited to challenge the Saints now that the Pro Bowl pass-catcher is back in the mix.

Samuel finished his rookie season with 19 touches for 179 yards from scrimmage. He became a bigger part of the offense after the Kelvin Benjamin trade.

Panthers WR Curtis Samuel Done For Season

November 14th, 2017 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

When Curtis Samuel exited Monday night’s game, the Panthers were hopeful that he had only suffered a high ankle sprain. Unfortunately, doctors gave the wide receiver some bad news on Tuesday afternoon. He has significant ligament damage in his ankle and will have to be shut down for the season as a result, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Samuel dropped a would-be touchdown pass in the third quarter and injury was added to insult when a Dolphins defensive back rolled on his foot. The second-round rookie’s season ends with 15 catches (26 targets) for 115 yards plus four carries for 64 yards.

The Panthers could fill the void from within, as suggested by Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Second-year pro Damiere Byrd is eligible to return from injured reserve soon and could theoretically suit up in time for the Panthers’ Dec. 3 game against the Saints.

For now, the Panthers are left with four healthy WRs: Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, Kaelin Clay, and Brenton Bersin. The group was thinned out by October’s Kelvin Benjamin trade and it’s looking even weaker following Samuel’s injury.

The Panthers are 7-3 after topping the Dolphins on Monday night. The Saints, riding a seven-game winning streak, sit atop the NFC South with a 7-2 record.