Jayden Daniels has already made his feelings clear that he’s happy to see his team trade for Deebo Samuel after sharing a post on Instagram while writing: “Lets work.”
The Washington Commanders made their first move of the offseason in trading for the do-it-all receiver in Samuel, sending a fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro star. While the Commanders did not have to part with much in the way of assets for Samuel, the trade package had been low due to his contract situation.
Samuel has an expiring contract, which is essentially a one-year, $17.5 million deal that will count against Washington’s salary cap. The move takes away a significant chunk of their spending from free agency, which is set to begin in eight days, as they’ll hope he can be the second option for Daniels to throw to behind McLaurin.
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The San Francisco 49ers had been happy to part with Samuel, despite him being set to cost them a whopping $31 million in dead cap space, while looking to move off of his contract to save money down the line.
Despite his decline in production over the last two years, Samuel has still proven to be a solid player in winning teams, while being capable of playing both receiver and running back.
The Commanders shocked the NFL last year when they had come into the season as one of the favorites to have the worst record in the league, before going on an unlikely playoff run. Washington went on to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions in road playoff games, before facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Deebo Samuel was traded to the Commanders on Saturday (
Getty Images)
Daniels mightily impressed in his first season, winning Rookie of the Year while leading the Commanders’ offense to consistently impressive performances. The ex-LSU star’s form justified his second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and 2023 Heisman Trophy win.
Despite trading for Samuel and inheriting his contract, the Commanders still have over $60 million to spend this offseason on free agents, likely to be big players once the market opens on March 10. The Commanders are likely to bolster their offensive line to protect Daniels, as well as additions to their defense that had been just average in 2024.
The Commanders won the last of their three Super Bowls in January 1992 and haven’t reached the NFL’s championship game since. Washington’s head coach Dan Quinn, who was appointed ahead of the 2024 season, is hoping to end the franchise’s drought
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