Washington actually has a plan.
For the first time in decades the Washington Commanders are behaving like a real, functional, intelligent football team — and trading for Deebo Samuel is proof of that. Over the weekend the Commanders pulled off one of the biggest trade coups we’ll see this year, bolstering their offense with the all-purpose weapon, and only having to give up a fifth round pick to get it done.
It’s a move that signifies that the organization isn’t backing down. The front office isn’t resting on the laurels of returning to relevancy, but instead is focusing on taking the next step forward to challenge the Eagles for the mantle of the NFC East. Washington has made the inconceivable a reality in a short period of time, now it’s time to pour gas on the fire.
Samuel is everything the Commanders offense needed but was missing. Immediately he’s the team’s No. 2 receiver behind Terry McLaurin, which is the best position for him to flourish. Deebo is also able to add to a committee based rushing attack, but more importantly as it pertains to the Kliff Kingsbury offense it’s about punctuating him with carries when it matters most. This is an offense that’s light on carries, but instead attempts to replace repetition by making carries count. This is something that wasn’t really possible in 2024, even as amazing as the commanders were.
In order to see Samuel’s fit it’s best to look at the 2021 Cardinals to get an idea. Entering that season the team had a clear-cut No. 1 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, but after that the depth took a massive hit. Arizona signed 32-year-old A.J. Green in free agency to be their No. 2, while depth receiver Rondale Moore would be used as a gadget runner.
With this trade the Commanders are essentially replicating the concept, but better. Deebo is better than Green was when he signed with the Cardinals, and he has better vision as a ball carrier than Moore did. It should be noted that those 2021 Cardinals went 11-6 and had the No. 8 ranked offense in the NFL.
This will only be better with Jayden Daniels becoming Kingsbury’s ultimate quarterback. His vision, passing, a deep ball accuracy tower over Kyler Murray’s. The trade now allows McLaurin to be the traditional outside receiver who will be used primarily on deep and intermediate routes, while Deebo can work undernearth by picking up YAC, or playing the role of a decoy. It’s going to make the Commanders even more fun to watch than they were a year ago.
This all feels foreign, because for so much of Washington’s recent history it’s been about haphazardly throwing elements together and hoping they work. Making big, often-splashy moves without much substance behind them. We can see this in the drafting of Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in the same draft class, making Josh Norman the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL despite it not being a move that really helped them, trading for Albert Haynesworth in 2009 — the list goes on.
Moves like taking Daniels with the No. 2 pick, and now the Samuel trade are patently different. They are unified under an offensive vision, and rather than trying to force square pegs into round holes, Washington is building to their football operation with a blueprint in hand.
It’s not often you can get a player of Samuel’s caliber for a 5th round pick. Washington was the team who identified a potential trade quickly, isolated a guy they wanted, and executed on their vision. The Commanders haven’t just arrived, they’re here to stay — and the NFL is better for it.
