ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Curtis Samuel is ready for an expanded role and the Buffalo Bills are hopeful one of their wide receivers will step up. With a room filled with uncertainty, Samuel may be the safest bet of the new additions because of his versatility and past production with offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
“I’m here, I’m just looking to start something new," Samuel said during Bills OTAs. "I know I’ve moved around a little bit, I just need to understand the playbook and have fun.”
“What’s exciting about a guy like Curtis is when I was with him in Carolina there were certain things he hadn’t done prior, like we had an injury to our running back position and we were like, 'Oh, Curtis can do this…or hey, let’s put Curtis outside' and he was able to adapt and adjust to that," Brady said. "He’s extremely bright, he can play any of the positions, play inside, play outside, play in the backfield, or whatever he needs to do."
new season and A LOT of new faces on offense.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) May 28, 2024
get to know some of them ⤵️⤵️⤵️#billsmafia @wkbw pic.twitter.com/5K9423OxL0
During his lone season with Brady as the Panthers offensive coordinator, Samuel had his best year as a pro, catching 77 passes for 851 yards and three touchdowns. Samuel added two rushing touchdowns and 200 yards on the ground. His versatility has been arguably his greatest asset during his seven-year NFL career and something the Bills are banking on.
“I feel like it’s good for the offense," Samuel said of his versatility. "A lot of guys can just line up anywhere, and when you bring a guy in, you’re like he’s going to do this or he’s going to do that, but we’ve got a lot of guys that can do so much, so it’s hard to predict what we can do in this offense.”
“We're going to ask him to do a lot of different things for us," quarterback Josh Allen said. "He brings an element of speed, an element of toughness, but he's a very smart football player, too”
Allen and Samuel have spent the last few weeks getting on the same page during OTAs and know it's going to be a process. But they are excited for the opportunity to work together as they try and replicate the magic the 27-year-old wide receiver was able to have during his last season in Carolina.
“I’m excited for it," Allen added. "He's been showing some flashes. And I just love throwing to him.”
“The more Curtis Samuel’s on your football team, the better," Brady added.
The final week of OTAs for Samuel and the Bills begins on Monday, June 3. Mandatory mini camp begins the following week in Orchard Park.
