Count Yahoo football analyst Matt Harmon as one of the most excited enthusiasts of the Bills signing free agent WR Curtis Samuel.
During a podcast with Dalton Del Don, the duo capped the end of their airtime with the announcement.
“Final piece of news, as we are taping this,” Harmon proclaimed. “The biggest news, the biggest signing in the NFL has happened. Because, according to Adam Schefter as we were taping this, former Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel is signing a three-year, $24 million deal with the Buffalo Bills.”
Harmon created the Reception Perception methodology of evaluation which charts a receiver’s performance on every route run during a multi-game sample to map an understanding of how they perform beyond box score and independent of the influence of outside factors in a variety of ways.
That evaluation includes…
- How good of a route-runner is this receiver and on which patterns does he create the most separation?
- Where does this receiver “win” on the field and what are his best attributes?
- Where are they best deployed?
- What quarterback of offense would they best gel with?
- What kind of coverage foils this wideout and is there a role he best fits in?
- Is this receiver capable of excelling or breakout if tasked with a greater target workload?
That the creator of such a deep-dive analytic method of evaluation has been and is bullish on Samuel in his career as a pro receiver is certainly positive. That he is authentically so excited at the Bills signing him may also be a good sign.
“I mean, I’m alive. I’m alive, bro. I’m alive. This is awesome. I’m completely thrilled,” Harmon expressed when asked for an immediate reaction during the podcast.
He and Del Don even went as far as to comment on their belief that the Bills got better at the receiver position, stating that Samuel was a clear upgrade.
“This is awesome. What an upgrade over Gabe Davis! You get Curtis Samuel out there? That is really interesting to me.”
He echoed the same sentiment that multiple media analysts have noted that the Samuel signing does not preclude Buffalo from adding a receiver in the draft to replace Davis’s deep-threat abilities while noting Samuel had his best season under Bills OC Joe Brady when he was in Carolina.
“Oh baby, I mean… Curtis Samuel had his best season in the NFL in Joe Brady’s offense. In 2020, he had 1,000 total yards. Over 800 receiving yards. Over 200 rushing yards. He was awesome. I think that he can be used in more true receiver ways and I think he can probably be deployed more as a flanker… I love this signing for the Bills. I love this signing for my guy, Curtis Samuel. I mean, this is absolutely electric. What a time. What a freaking time to be alive.”
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