ESPN tells Commanders fans to slow the Deebo Samuel hype train

After a surprising 12-5 season that ended in an NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders have aggressively attacked the offseason. One of the biggest moves was trading for veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.

The versatile playmaker will be another weapon for quarterback Jayden Daniels. Samuel's dynamic ability will also contribute to Washington’s ground game, which regressed after a promising start last season.

After a successful stint with the San Francisco 49ers, many Commanders fans were excited about adding the 2021 Pro Bowler to the roster. However, NFL analyst Bill Barnwell warned fans to set realistic expectations for this version of Samuel.

ESPN predicts Deebo Samuel will be productive for Commanders without reaching Pro Bowl heights

In a recent ESPN piece, Barnwell acknowledged that Samuel should be productive after signing for the Commanders. However, fans should not anticipate seeing a player anywhere close to the one that dominated the league during his All-Pro campaign.

Samuel will create a few big plays out of nothing and run through a few defenders. He's going to drop a few more passes than you would like and miss a couple of games each season, but that's perfectly reasonable for a WR2. He will do well with the high quantity of screens and RPOs the Commanders ran last season, but don't expect his production to reach the 2021 heights.Bill Barnwell

This is a fair assessment. Even in San Francisco, Samuel didn’t have any other seasons near the production of his 2021 year, and Barnwell highlighted that. That was the receiver’s lone Pro Bowl year, and the only campaign in which he recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards or more than 300 rushing yards.

Still, Samuel has consistently contributed when on the field. That's what the Commanders are looking for.

In 15 games last season, Samuel caught 51 passes for 670 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball 42 times for 136 rushing yards and one additional score. The former second-round pick out of South Carolina will be playing with Terry McLaurin as the other wideout, Zach Ertz at tight end, and a rushing attack with a dual-threat superstar quarterback.

Being surrounded by talent should set Samuel up for a good season, even if it isn’t as productive as 2021.

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