Henry McKenna
NFL Reporter
Early in the offseason, Deebo Samuel asked Kliff Kingsbury — politely — for more deep targets. Samuel, normally a slot guy, wanted to line up outside and run go-balls. Kingsbury figured: Why not?
And so, lined up outside, Samuel hauled in his first target on a go-ball for a big play.
The obvious takeaway?
“Alright, we’ll get you out there more,” Washington’s offensive coordinator told Samuel.
It’s a big part of what drew the Commanders to Samuel. It’s his ability to do just about anything. To do more – including the deep game that is expanding the team’s plans for Samuel. That’s why Washington acquired him in a trade with the 49ers this offseason before guaranteeing his $17-million salary and adding $3 million in incentives. As the former Arizona Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury watched from the opposite sideline while Samuel and Christian McCaffrey caused fits for his defenses.
And now, Kingsbury said he’s “honored” to have the opportunity to make the most of Samuel’s talents.
Deebo Samuel is all smiles in Commanders camp working with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and QB Jayden Daniels. (Photo by John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
It should be a treat to watch one of the NFL’s truly unique weapons and one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds in the same offense.
“There’ll be some things that people haven’t seen with how we feature him,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday.
That’s what I was hoping he’d say.
It’s a big win for Kingsbury. And it could be an even bigger win for Jayden Daniels.
“I think it’ll be huge [for Daniels’ development],” Kingsbury informed me. “These hidden yards that you may get with a participant like Deebo, whether or not it is a display or a fast go when he makes the primary man miss, is so invaluable for a quarterback. The strain just isn’t at all times on you to carry on to it and throw it down the sector, and in order that’s form of an outlet that may be an actual peace of thoughts. When issues are getting more durable, OK, how can we get Deebo the ball? Let’s get him concerned. He can get it going. It doesn’t need to be all on the QB.”
Terry McLaurin has lengthy been a deep risk for the Commanders. Usually connecting with McLaurin, Daniels led the NFL in go-route success final season, per Subsequent Gen Stats, with 9 touchdowns and no interceptions. Daniels nonetheless sees room for enchancment, and he stated the repetitions would be the key to opening up that ingredient of the passing sport. There ought to come some extent the place McLaurin stretches vertically and Samuel challenges the width of the protection within the intermediate and checkdown areas — with tight finish Zach Ertz consuming up yards in the midst of the sector.
Terry McLaurin (left) had a career-high 13 receiving touchdowns final season whereas rookie Jayden Daniels led the NFL in go-route success. (Photograph by Nic Antaya/Getty Photos)
However as a result of McLaurin is holding in amid a contract dispute, Samuel is getting extra of these go balls that he requested for upon arriving in Washington.
“I feel the route-running potential is method higher than I anticipated,” Kingsbury stated of Samuel. “Yeah, he actually has some pure really feel, whether or not it is inside, exterior, downfield, making performs.”
That a lot was clear in joint practices between the New England Patriots and the Commanders on Wednesday. Daniels regarded early and sometimes for Ertz over the center. Nevertheless it was Samuel who helped Daniels use extra of the sector. A swing go right here. A deep submit there. And a deep crosser right here. And little question, that unpredictability helped open up the center of the sector the place — you guessed it — Ertz predictably attacked.
Late in apply throughout a seven-on-seven purple zone interval, Daniels discovered Samuel within the again left nook of the tip zone. The receiver ripped the ball out of the air over cornerback Marcus Jones’ helmet. Samuel saved each ft in-bounds whereas backpedaling, and he secured the ball by way of Jones’ swatting and the affect with the bottom.
It was a landing — and doubtless probably the most spectacular catch by any participant on the day.
For Daniels to keep away from a sophomore hunch like we noticed from Texans QB C.J. Stroud final yr, Samuel would possibly simply be the important thing. Now, it’ll take exhausting work. The 29-year-old receiver is coming off one in every of his worst statistical years in 2024, when he handled a calf pressure, rib and indirect accidents, a wrist difficulty and pneumonia. However Samuel is grinding exhausting to ensure he understands Daniels’ preferences by way of routes, timing and coverages. And Kingsbury is working exhausting to conceptualize the very best methods to get Samuel the soccer.
Jacks of all trades are sometimes masters of none. It’s one factor to herald somebody as versatile as Samuel. It’s one other factor to correctly make the most of his abilities. You possibly can’t at all times plug and play. Usually, a singular participant like Samuel requires a singular sport plan.
However that tough work can be an amazing alternative for Kingsbury to flex his artistic muscle mass.
“You nailed it,” he informed me. “It is extra of an honor for me to have a participant like that, the place you see all these completely different prospects and performs. It actually expands your playbook. It expands the personnel teams — making an attempt to get mismatches with the protection. As an offensive thoughts, that is one thing that you may’t put a value on getting that chance.”
Up to now, the Commanders haven’t actually proven all their playing cards on how they’ll use Samuel.
Consider it like blackjack: one card up and the opposite down.
Ertz admitted they’re nonetheless pretty “vanilla” by way of scheme. Kingsbury informed me he “can’t wait to sport plan” round Samuel’s distinctive abilities. However Samuel didn’t line up at operating again throughout the joint apply and hasn’t spent a lot time there throughout coaching camp. Kingsbury stated he needed to determine Samuel’s consolation within the slot spot and “construct from there.” And sure, when these practices shut from the general public eye in just a few weeks, the Commanders will experiment with Samuel beneath the quilt of privateness.
McLaurin’s latest commerce request may emphasize Samuel’s significance much more. Even when McLaurin returns to the Commanders on a brand new deal, we’ve seen receivers want just a few weeks to recalibrate after a holdout or hold-in. For instance, Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase had simply 97 whole yards in his first two video games final yr — each losses for Cincinnati.
Early in apply on Wednesday, Samuel sidled up beside Daniels to talk and watch backup quarterback Josh Johnson run the second staff offense for 11-on-11s. They may have been speaking in regards to the climate, about politics, about why the sky is blue. However I’d prefer to suppose they have been speaking about how that apply was an indication of issues to come back — an indicator that Washington’s offense is about to get a complete lot extra harmful.
As a result of with Samuel, the Commanders ought to get a complete lot extra harmful.
Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years masking the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Observe him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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