NFL free agency is just days away and the Buffalo Bills are expected to be in the market for help at the wide receiver position.
General manager Brandon Beane has work to do to get his team under the salary cap and even more to free up space. He has several options available but that doesn’t mean the Bills will be able to go overboard with spending.
Players such as Alec Pierce will command too much money, but SI.com’s Gilberto Manzano believes they could still land a difference-maker. Manzano predicts Buffalo will sign Deebo Samuel, who spent 2025 with the Washington Commanders.
”Buffalo doesn’t have much cap space to splurge on a wide receiver for Josh Allen. However, Samuel likely won’t command a high price tag as he heads into his age-30 season,” Manzano wrote.
“He’s lost some explosiveness, but he’s still a productive playmaker, recording 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns with the Commanders last season.”
Samuel was originally selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. The South Carolina product quickly became a weapon for the Niners and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2021.
That year, Samuel had 77 receptions for 1,405 yards with six touchdowns. He added another 365 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, making him one of the toughest players to defend.
Samuel hasn’t been able to repeat that success but still had a total of 802 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns for Washington in 2025.
Would Deebo Samuel be right addition for Bills?
The idea of adding a player with Samuel’s skill set sounds appealing, but it might not be the right move for Buffalo.
He’s considered a “wide back” who can line up in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield. At his age, however, he doesn’t have the same explosiveness he once did, which limits his versatility. There are also durability concerns to consider.
Samuel has dealt with a lengthy injury history that includes hamstring, groin, ankle and rib issues and a surgically repaired foot fracture. He typically returns quickly, but has missed significant time. That’s already a concern for the Bills, which makes adding another player with injury concerns a risky proposition.
That said, Buffalo would be better off letting another team pay Samuel while they look for someone more dependable.
