The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.
NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.
We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.
So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Washington Commanders wide receiver, Curtis Samuel.
Curtis Samuel 2024 Contract Projection
Samuel secured an $11.5M APY deal from Washington following a final two-year stretch in Carolina where he averaged 65 catches, 739 yards and 4.5 touchdowns per year. After being lost for virtually the entire 2021 season, he has averaged 63 catches for 634 yards and four touchdowns these past two years. That’s not a far cry from his last two seasons with the Panthers.
But Samuel has also lost some of the dynamic playmaking allure he had during the 2021 offseason. Some of that is due to him being three years older and some of that is due to usage. In his last year in Carolina, he carried the ball 41 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns, as a true do-anything gadget player. This year, he totaled only seven carries for 39 yards and one touchdown.
With a much more crowded receiver market this year compared to last, Samuel will be lucky to secure 75% of his current APY.
- Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
- Projected Contract: 2 years, $15.0 million, $7.5 APY, $9.0M GTD
- Year One Cap Hit: $3.0 million
Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.
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