The Indianapolis Colts have a big need at the wide receiver position and even though they already made a trade earlier this offseason, would it make sense for them to explore the chance to get Curtis Samuel from the Carolina Panthers?
After the Panthers signed vertical threat Robby Anderson to a two-year deal in free agency, there is plenty of talk that Samuel could be on the trading block. This is especially true when considering Anderson and Samuel have similar skill sets.
At 23 years old, Samuel has flashed for the Panthers but hasn’t quite broken out. His lack of major progression in 2019, his second season, should be attributed more to the quarterback play he had to endure throughout the campaign.
But Samuel can be a great addition to the wide receiver corps. It would just be a matter of whether Chris Ballard wants to part ways with another draft pick after already doing so this offseason. In short, he probably doesn’t. But there are reasons to believe it might be worth it.
Though he finished the season with 54 receptions for 627 yards and six touchdowns, there was plenty of production left on the field due to his quarterback play.
Samuel was a strong downfield threat for the Panthers in 2019. He had 27 deep-passing targets (20 yards or more), per Pro Football Focus. That’s tied for 10th-most in the NFL. Sounds like he should have been productive right?
Well, Pro Football Focus also has Samuel as having five catchable deep targets. Five. That goes to show that while he’s getting open downfield, his quarterbacks are failing him miserably.
Samuel also has game-breaking speed, something the Colts are in desperate search of. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds, and that speed shows up on the field. He can work on deep routes with Philip Rivers or work underneath stretching the field horizontally like Frank Reich likes to do.
There are some concerns with Samuels. He does tend to suffer some drops. That should certainly be noted in his evaluation. At the same time, though, the Colts have been willing to look past issues with drops if they feel the upside outweighs that aspect of their game.
For Samuel, that is certainly the case. His overall skill set is worth working through the drops.
What type of compensation would be needed isn’t clear. Samuel was a second-round pick. The Panthers have no leverage so they aren’t getting that back. A third-rounder is likely too rich for Ballard but if the Panthers settle on a Day 3 selection, the Colts should smash the accept button.
Though it is unlikely that Ballard makes a move for Samuel, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check the price of the 23-year-old. If it’s reasonable, he would add a solid dynamic to an offense that needs explosiveness in the wide receiver room.