3 bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers vs. Saints

Curtis Samuel will trick a team into giving him big money

In all fairness to Curtis Samuel, I think he’s a very nice player. The wide receiver was clutch in 2020 and proved to be a valuable weapon that gave defensive coordinators fits all season.

Samuel is just 70 yards away from 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season and I think he’ll achieve that goal. But I wouldn’t be too excited to see the Carolina Panthers re-sign the former second-round pick for big money in the offseason.

The biggest concern is Samuel’s role moving forward.

He’s benefitted from the Panthers lacking the dynamic talent of Christian McCaffrey and the obvious need for the decision-makers to recruit a quality pass-catching tight end.

Assuming both of those issues are fixed in the offseason, what is Samuel’s purpose on the team? And how much should this team be willing to spend to retain a third or fourth option in the passing game that may get fewer touches next year?

Carolina’s next general manager – whomever that may be after owner David Tepper fired Marty Hurney – will have a tough decision to make about Samuel, a fan favorite.

He may impress a lot of teams against New Orleans this week and a team may be willing to overpay him. Hopefully, the Panthers aren’t one of them with a lot of more pressing needs elsewhere.