Tag: Curtis Samuel

How to target Buffalo Bills WRs in fantasy drafts

Breaking down the unheralded cast of wideouts in Western New York.

Over the last four seasons, the Buffalo Bills have featured one of the NFL’s most prolific passing attacks, primarily on the strength of quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. That era came to an end this offseason when the Bills traded Diggs to the Houston Texans. In addition to parting ways with Diggs, their No. 1 receiver, they also lost WR Gabe Davis, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after finishing second on the team in receiving in both 2022 and 2023.

With the Bills possessing limited cap space, the retooling of the receiver room took the form of value free-agent signings like Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, along with the selection of WR Keon Coleman in the second round of this year’s draft. Internally, they’ll be looking at Khalil Shakir and hoping he can take another step in his development.

One thing that can’t be overlooked when talking about Buffalo’s receivers is the presence of Allen, who has the disposition and talent to shepherd these fresh faces through the inevitable bumps in the road. With that in mind, let’s look at who can contribute in 2024.

Bills teammates impressed with Josh Allen in overdrive at practice

Allen threw all the passes:

Josh Allen put it into overdrive at practice on Monday in Orchard Park.

Fresh off a 33-6 loss to the Chicago Bears in his team’s preseason opener, Allen threw every pass at Buffalo’s next practice. However, that has nothing to do with the result.

Due to an injury to Shane Buechele and Mitchell Trubisky having an excused absence, Allen was the only available QB for the team.

That doesn’t happen very often. It’s also hard to imagine some other franchise quarterbacks in the NFL picking up the slack for his team like that. But this is Josh… and his teammates were not at all surprised by him stepping up in that way.

“That’s a tough guy,” receiver Curtis Samuel said.

“Josh is a dog,” wideout Khalil Shakir added.

For more reaction to Allen from teammates, see the attached WKBW-TV clip below:

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Bills’ Dalton Kincaid looks to take on larger role in 2024

#Bills’ Dalton Kincaid looks to take on larger role in 2024:

Second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid will undoubtedly be a focal point for the Buffalo Bills offense this season.

The 2023 first-round pick had a stellar rookie season, setting a single-season franchise record for tight ends with 73 receptions. His 673 receiving yards was the second-best single-season total in Bills history for the position.

Now, Kincaid hopes to put together an encore that exceeds his first year in Buffalo. He shared how he can meet the increased expectations set upon him.

“You know, knowing where I need to be and knowing the playbook a lot more. I can look at the defense and see what they’re doing and understand their leverage,” Kincaid said via video conference.

Kincaid also embraces his role as a leader on the offense.

“I’m trying to be more of a leader going into the second year because we’ve got a lot of new guys on the team. I think it’s translated well — we did a lot together during OTAs and we just got a really good group of guys,” he added.

While Kincaid has the inside track at being quarterback Josh Allen’s No. 1 target this fall, he isn’t taking on any sort of selfish mentality concerning targets. The tight end is excited for the new group of weapons that the Bills have on offense.

“I’m just out there to do my job and catch the ball when it’s thrown my way. You know our saying is ‘Everybody Eats’ on this offense, and everybody is going to eat so if it’s a game I catch 10 passes — awesome. If it’s a game I catch zero passes, it’s awesome as long as we’re winning,” Kincaid said.

Kincaid will welcome new wide outs Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel to Buffalo’s receiving corps. Slot receiver Khalil Shakir begin the season as a full-time starter for the first time in his career.

With the lack of a true No.1 receiver, it’s expected that Allen will spread the ball out to all options. In the end, it could mean even greater production for Kincaid.

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Curtis Samuel makes finger-tip grab at Bills training camp (video)

Curtis Samuel makes finger-tip grab at #Bills training camp (video):

Curtis Samuel is feeling right at home at Buffalo Bills training camp.

During the fifth day of workouts at St. John Fisher University, the new wideout addition and quarterback Josh Allen connected on a heck of a play… mostly because of Samuel’s doing.

On a pass down the sideline with cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram in coverage, Samuel got just enough of his fingertips on the ball to haul it in for a touchdown. The crowd and onlookers were wow’d by the play.

Check out the highlight in the clip below:

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Bills’ Curtis Samuel listed as player who could shape 2024 NFL season

#Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel was listed as one under-the-radar player who could shape the 2024 NFL season.

The Buffalo Bills are trying to revamp their roster after the departures of some of their most prominent players in recent memory this offseason. The team sought to get younger and cheaper.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is one of the players that Buffalo is trying to make up for the loss for and one of their free-agent acquisitions could be the answer.

In a recent article by CBS Sports, wide receiver Curtis Samuel was listed was one of 50 under-the-radar players who could make an huge impact over the course of the 2024 season. Samuel signed with Buffalo this offseason on a three-year, $24 million ($15 million guaranteed) deal in March that could be worth up to $30 million.

Samuel, 27, is part of a retooled receiving corps that is going from relying on Diggs and Gabe Davis to a committee with Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and second-round rookie Keon Coleman along with tight end Dalton Kincaid. Star quarterback Josh Allen will have to figure out how to play with this new pass-catching group sooner than later if the Bills are going to go deep into the playoffs.

Samuel is coming off a 2023 season with the Washington Commanders in which he caught 62 passes (91 targets) for 613 yards and four touchdowns. Samuel could be a dangerous player for the Bills as he can line up anywhere within offensive formations and can also line up in the backfield.

Here’s what CBS Sports had to say about including Samuel on this list:

“After losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, the Bills’ passing game will likely be more by-committee this season, and Samuel could lead that committee. He reunites with Joe Brady , his former offensive coordinator in Carolina in 2020, when Samuel had career highs in yards receiving (851) and rushing (200). Samuel can play in the slot, out wide and, occasionally, in the backfield.”

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PFF: Bills’ Curtis Samuel a potential ‘fantasy football league-winner’

PFF: #Bills’ Curtis Samuel a potential ‘fantasy football league-winner’

Things are picking up on the field with the Buffalo Bills with the kickoff of training camp a week away. Off the field, fantasy football fans are beginning their preparations for upcoming drafts.

Several fantasy experts are ramping up their research, analysis, and predictions for this upcoming season.

Buffalo Bills free agent acquisition Curtis Samuel is one name that is garnering some buzz for fantasy owners.

Pro Football Focus sees Samuel as a player with “league-winning” potential for fantasy owners. PFF highlights how Samuel should play a large role in Buffalo’s offense:

Curtis Samuel is more than a slot receiver: Samuel should have an expanded role with the Buffalo Bills, compared to recent seasons, along with the best quarterback play of his career.

Samuel doesn’t have the massive stats of the top receivers who will be picked at the start of many fantasy drafts. However, many league winners find value in later rounds to help supplement their roster.

Buffalo’s wide receiver corps has undergone quite a change this offseason. Out are Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, leaving 241 targets from the 2023 season up for grabs. Samuel, along with Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, will be the recipients of those redistributed passes.

Samuel’s versatility makes him the most intriguing of the trio. His best season statistically was in 2020, when he caught 77 passes for 851 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions for the Carolina Panthers.

Samuel was a part of the Panthers ground game during that season as well, rushing 41 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Currently, Samuel’s ADP is 139 on CBS Sports.

Samuel could be on the brink of a breakout season. Josh Allen is the best quarterback that Samuel has played with in his career.

When Samuel had his career-best season in Carolina, his offensive coordinator was Joe Brady.

Brady, the current coordinator for the Bills, knows how to utilize the wideout’s skill set. Expect Brady to find creative ways to get the ball into Samuel’s hands.

Samuel will be a solid late-round selection for fantasy owners. He has a good chance of establishing career highs within the Buffalo offense. Samuel will be a good flex option, as his versatility puts him in a prime spot to make an impact for the Bills early and often this season.

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Stevie Johnson breaks down depth in Bills receiver room (video)

Stevie Johnson breaks down depth in #Bills receiver room (video)”

Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson has given his opinion on how the team’s current depth chart could look in the wideout room in 2024.

Like many, Johnson agrees the top-three players are likely second-round rookie Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir.

Johnson thinks the difference below that grouping could be draft status and other numbers like size. Names Johnson went on to discuss were Chase Claypool and Justin Shorter.

Johnson’s full thoughts can be found in the Built in Buffalo clip below:

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NFL.com predicts who could be new starters for the Bills in 2024

NFL.com predicts who could be new starters for the #Bills in 2024:

Roster turnover has highlighted the 2024 offseason for the Buffalo Bills and we’re not even close to training camp yet.

Once that rolls around, we’ll get our answers as to who will not only get a chance start, but actually start for the Bills during the upcoming season.

For now, all we can do is speculate and NFL.com has done that. The league’s website took a stab at guessing the upcoming 2024 Bills starters.

With all the noted change, there were several new starters projected on both sides of the ball by NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal.

Here’s how the Bills’ projected starting lineup changes were projected:

NFL.com: The Bills view Keon Coleman as an outside “X” receiver. Many draft analysts saw him as a big option in the slot. Can he get open enough against outside cornerbacks? One confusing aspect of the offense is that most of Buffalo’s pass catchers (Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Kincaid) do their best work on the inside.

NFL.com: The Bills hope for Von Miller to be a starter again, but even quality snaps as a sub-package player would be a bonus. Despite his guaranteed money ($8.5 million in 2024, per Over The Cap), he’s not a lock to make the team if he doesn’t show progress in training camp. Miller’s presence is part of a defensive line that is not as deep as it once was, although the Bills added third- and fifth-round picks (DT DeWayne Carter and DE Javon Solomon) to the mix.

NFL.com: The Bills hope for Von Miller to be a starter again, but even quality snaps as a sub-package player would be a bonus. Despite his guaranteed money ($8.5 million in 2024, per Over The Cap), he’s not a lock to make the team if he doesn’t show progress in training camp. Miller’s presence is part of a defensive line that is not as deep as it once was, although the Bills added third- and fifth-round picks (DT DeWayne Carter and DE Javon Solomon) to the mix.

Bills’ Joe Brady: The more Curtis Samuels, the better

#Bills’ Joe Brady: ‘The more Curtis Samuel, the better’

Curtis Samuel has a head start on some of the other new receivers on the Buffalo Bills’ roster.

After a bunch of turnover this offseason, Khalil Shakir is the only wideout on the Bills who has caught a pass from quarterback Josh Allen in a regular-season game. So why does Samuel have a potential upper hand? Because of offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady and Samuel previously shared a stop together with the Carolina Panthers. The OC doesn’t need to see what the seven-year veteran brings to the table; he knows.

“The more Curtis Samuels on your football team, the better,” Brady said via video conference.

Admittedly, things have changed since then, Samuel said. He sees positives in that, though.

“Joe is smooth. Not going to lie, when you see him nowadays, he look like he got some swag to him,” Samuel said, comparing Brady to before. “It’s good seeing it.”

And of course, coming to a team with Allen as his quarterback was appealing for Samuel, who signed a three-year deal this offseason.

“It’s amazing coming here and playing with a guy like that,” Samuel said. “He’s special, he’s a good dude from day one.”

For more from Samuel, see the attached WUFO radio clip below:

 

What Bills’ Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane like about Curtis Samuel

What #Bills’ Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane like about Curtis Samuel:

The Buffalo Bills are feeling good about landing wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

Samuel, 27, agreed to a three-year deal in Buffalo. The wideout arrived after the team lost Gabe Davis in free agency.

Davis was a deep-ball target. Samuel is not. That was something that was appealing to the Bills.

“I like the addition of Curtis [Samuel], the speed element. The numbers of different guys we got in there, but you can certainly add [tight ends] Dalton [Kincaid] and Dawson [Knox] to that room with those guys,” Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said at the NFL Annual Meetings.

For general manager Brandon Beane, it was something different. The speed helps, but the versatility Samuel brings in along with his quickness could be a problem for opposing defenses the Bills will face in 2024.

Beane’s full thoughts can be found in the WKBW-TV clip below:

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