The focus is on the Buffalo Bills’ receiving group as the 2024 NFL season begins. It’s not unusual for a team with a top quarterback to draw attention to its pass-catching unit. However, this year’s discussions have a different feel. Buffalo bid farewell to their top two receivers, Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs, during the offseason. Davis left as a free agent, while Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in April. The team plans to make up for their absence by distributing the ball among a range of promising but untested players, including Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel.
While each of these four pass-catchers has a promising career ahead of them in 2024, Samuel’s journey to One Bills Drive makes him potentially the most intriguing. Samuel, a former second-round pick who has never quite lived up to his potential because of his inconsistent quarterback play, frequent injuries, and a rotating staff of offensive coaches, is a player whose ceiling is hard to predict going into the upcoming season. He has never quite reached 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, but many analysts believe he is capable of more given his proven talent and versatility.
Samuel might just be repeating his typical role and output from Buffalo, but it’s hard to ignore that given that he’s teamed with one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL in Josh Allen.
It’s reasonable to be enthusiastic about Samuel’s opportunity given his experience with and proven comfort in a Brady offence, especially in light of the quarterback he will be working with. Although Buffalo’s redesigned offence has more mouths to feed, his job currently appears relatively defined and has the potential to be important. After a disappointing three-year stay with the Washington Commanders, don’t be shocked if, in 2024, Samuel again hits new career highs playing for Brady.
