Washington’s approach to the offseason thus far is simple: addressing the offense was a must, and Ron Rivera didn't waste any time. On night one of the free agency tampering period, the team added quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to shore up their quarterback room. On the first official night of free agency, however, Washington made their splash.

According to Adam Schefter, Washington and former Carolina Panthers wideout Curtis Samuel have agreed to a three-year, $34.5M deal. On the heels of a career-year in Carolina, Samuel now joins Terry McLaurin, presenting one of the top receiver pairings in the NFC. Best described as “weapon X,” Samuel will find comfort in joining Washington, as both he and McLaurin were members of Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class where they starred in the scarlet and grey.

Under offensive coordinator Joe Brady in Carolina, Samuel totaled a career-best 77 catches for 851 yards with 41 rushes totaling 200 yards in 2020. A former second-round selection of Rivera in 2017, Samuel now joins his former head bench boss in the nation’s capital within an offense predicated on its ability to thrive via versatile offensive weapons both in the backfield and at receiver.

Following a devastating injury to All-World running back Christian McCaffrey, Samuel was tasked with taking on an increased role for the Panthers, both as a rusher and with the ball in hands near the boundary. As successful as he was in the ground game, his most impressive stat came via his catch rate (79.4%) that led all NFL receivers and was well ahead of his 56.3% rate the previous three seasons. Samuel also developed into one of the league leaders on third-down catches for first downs.

Now, with Fitzpatrick under center and Antonio Gibson primed for a massive sophomore campaign, offensive coordinator Scott Turner has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal with the addition of Samuel. With Terry McLaurin’s running mate now in town, a second consecutive NFC East title doesn’t look far-fetched for a roster anchored by one of the league’s top defensive units.