5 studs and duds from Carolina Panthers’ win at Washington
By Dean Jones
Curtis Samuel – Carolina Panthers WR
Curtis Samuel was a man on a mission at Washington in Week 16. The wide receiver is looking to get some big-time money once his contract expires next spring and he was a real difference-maker from start to finish.
There is nothing that Samuel cannot do on the field. He has emerged as one of Teddy Bridgewater’s most trusted receiving weapons and offers something a little bit different from what D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson provide.
The former Ohio State sensation brought in all five of his targets for 106 receiving yards. Samuel’s presence in the run game was another element of his overall contribution that shouldn’t be overlooked, with the player ending the game on 52 rushing yards from just seven carries.
If Samuel was looking to boost his bargaining tools when it’s time for contract negotiations to begin, he succeeded in his objective.
However, it might have made things a little bit harder for the Carolina Panthers to keep him around.
There should be no shortage of interested teams looking to acquire someone with Samuel’s exceptional skillset if he’s allowed to test the free-agent market and losing him would be a significant blow to their rebuilding plans.