Rediscovering Deebo’s Speed
Despite misleading clips on social media, Deebo Samuel still has his trademark explosiveness. Coach Dan Quinn quickly recognized this once Samuel hit the practice field. “Somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten until [he was] out here how fast he is,” Coach Dan Quinn said of Samuel via the team’s official website.
Samuel acknowledged he had to shed some weight this offseason, but his burst on the field made a strong impression on Quinn. “I can remember one time he just ran by somebody down the field on a deep ball, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I forgot about that,'” Quinn said with a laugh.
“So…it didn’t surprise me, but it was maybe [that] I missed talking about it to that space because I was easily reminded, he’s one of the fastest players on the team.”
A New Opportunity in Washington
Traded from the 49ers to the Commanders during the offseason, Samuel arrives following a down year and with just one season left on his large contract. Washington is betting that he can bounce back to his dynamic form.
Having schemed against Samuel as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Quinn knows just how much of a challenge he can be when in rhythm. “He was such a difficult person to tackle that you spent so much time, ‘How are you going to tackle this person?'” Quinn said.
“And so, sometimes when you’re playing against the receiver, you say, ‘Man, you better either get him at the line or you better be on top of him.’ With him, so many times there were so many runs after catch plays that we had a tackling plan, and how would you go about it?”
Role and Expectations Moving Forward
Assuming Terry McLaurin’s contract situation is resolved, Samuel is expected to serve as a strong No. 2 option alongside Washington’s top receiver. Training camp will provide clarity on how offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury plans to use Samuel. Whether on screen passes, over the middle, or even out of the backfield, especially since the team made minimal additions at running back.
Washington’s hopes hinge on Samuel returning to his multi-dimensional form and adding a new layer to the Commanders’ offensive arsenal.
