
Deebo Samuel is no longer at the peak of his powers, but he proved that he still had plenty left in the tank last season.
The former San Francisco 49ers star led the Washington Commanders' offense with 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns while adding another touchdown on the ground.
However, he's still unsigned, and with a projected market value of $15.8 million, he may want to lower his financial aspirations for next season.
Should that be the case, CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan believes he's the type of guy the Baltimore Ravens usually gamble on at the latter stages of their careers.
“[Samuel] is capable of being an option for some team,” Sullivan said. “I look at the Baltimore Ravens, and it kind of feels like their MO of bringing in wide receivers who are a little long in the tooth but still able to squeeze out a little more talent, a little more production from them.”
Per Sullivan, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has a history of taking a chance on aging wide receivers on short-term deals, and given their current need for another playmaker, Samuel might be a seamless fit.
“I look at this team, and they have done this most recently with DeAndre Hopkins [and] I still think they need someone opposite Zay Flowers in that wide receiver room, and more than that, I think Deebo Samuel would be really interesting in this offense. He’s just a flat-out weapon, and you can put him in the backfield,” he added.
The Ravens are entering the first year of the post-John Harbaugh era. Jesse Minter is a defensive-minded coach, so there are reasons to have some doubts about what happens on the other side of the field.
There's plenty of uncertainty about Lamar Jackson's contract situation and whether he'll sign an extension, and giving him another weapon would certainly be a good way to keep him around.
While he's no longer a dual-threat superstar, Samuel was healthy and in great shape last season.
Given the lack of pass-catchers in Baltimore, he'd be a welcome addition.
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