Curtis Samuel: 5 Best landing spots in 2021 NFL free agency

Wide receiver Curtis Samuel is one of the hidden gems in 2021 NFL free agency but where would some of the best landing spots be for the pass-catcher?

The 2021 NFL free agency headlines at wide receiver will undoubtedly be dominated by the big names on the market like Kenny Golladay and JuJu Smith Schuster. But Curtis Samuel represents a fantastic player who could absolutely help most offenses in the league.

After flashing his potential through his first three seasons, we got the best look yet at the versatile Ohio State product in the 2020 season with Joe Brady calling the plays for the Panthers. In 15 games, Samuel caught 77 of his 97 targets for 851 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing 41 times for 200 yards and two scores.

Samuel has terrific speed, meaning he can be used as a deep threat, but he thrives because of how many ways he can be used. He can take carries, he can get loose on screens and underneath, and he can really line up all over the field and be effective. That’s something valuable in the modern NFL.

So as Samuel is set to hit the market in 2021 NFL free agency, we’re looking at which landing spots would make sense for the 24-year-old wide receiver.

Best Curtis Samuel landing spots in 2021 NFL free agency

5. Green Bay Packers – Stop me if you’ve heard this before but the Green Bay Packers need help at wide receiver. Davante Adams is arguably the best in the NFL at the position but his cohorts have been anything but consistent targets for Aaron Rodgers. They must address that this offseason.

Curtis Samuel would be a huge asset for the Packers passing attack. Of the bodies in the building right now, they all have a larger build and, outside of Adams, lack versatility. That’s far from the case with Samuel and he would help diversify what Green Bay can do on that side of the ball.

4. New England Patriots – Armed with a ton of cap space and with no viable wide receivers — save for maybe Jakobi Meyers — on the roster, the New England Patriots will likely be considered in the mix for any wide receiver on the 2021 NFL free agency market. And they should be.

Quarterback is anything but settled for Bill Belichick’s team at this point but they will figure out some solution under center. Once they do, the organization must put that player in a position where they can succeed, and adding Samuel to the fold would be a part of that equation.

3. New York Jets – Speaking of teams that are short at the wide receiver spot, the New York Jets qualify. Jamison Crowder has been a fine possession receiver and Denzel Mims showed some promise when healthy. But as the Jets are likely to make a big quarterback change, the pass-catchers need some upgrades.

Though you do have to worry a bit about overall size if Samuel and Crowder were on the same team, they are different players. Samuel’s versatility would allow him to move all over the line and make plays in a variety of areas of the field. That will be something that any incoming quarterback would be lucky to work with.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Anxiously awaiting the moment when they can run up their draft card and officially have Trevor Lawrence in the building, it’s a long road to success for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That means they must be diligent in how they build their roster but setting their No. 1 pick quarterback up for success would be a good start.

When the Jags selected Dede Westbrook, they believed he could be a player something similar to what Curtis Samuel has proven to be. Since Westbrook didn’t become that, adding Samuel would give Lawrence a nice 1-2 punch with the former Panther pairing up with D.J. Chark.

1. Washington Football Team – Terry McLaurin has clearly established himself as a WR1 in the league, even playing with subpar quarterbacks to this point. Washington doesn’t know who will be throwing in the 2021 season but they should know that McLaurin needs some consistent help in the passing game.

The Football Team is lacking in proven depth and, frankly, somewhat in versatility with their pass-catchers. With Ron Rivera being familiar with Samuel, it would be extremely interesting to see how he could utilize the weapon if they can sign him in 2021 NFL free agency.