Grab your bags, and hop on aboard before it’s too late: the Curtis Samuel Hype Train is chugging ahead at blazing speeds. Trust us, you’ll want a seat.
In case you needed some new “before bed” material, here’s samples of the poetic that’s been waxed on Samuels this offseason:
- “Offseason MVP… any credibility would be lost if Samuel hadn’t been the choice”
- “Light years ahead,” according to Ron Rivera, which Samuel has shown “on the field practically every day.”
- “Impossible to cover” with “One or two wow-factor plays” every day
- “A safe bet the same continues once the regular season gets underway.”
Via Albert Breer:
“Curtis Samuel might be the player who’s taken the biggest step forward, as he continues to evolve from athlete into receiver. The staff’s noticed all the extra work he’s done, and him primed for a breakout third year in the league.”
Via teammates:
“I’ve never seen one individual player come that far in my life,” said Torrey Smith.
“Watching him improve is amazing,” said Christian McCaffrey . “Obviously, he’s got foot speed that’s rare; not just in the league, I’d say in the world. Being able to watch him really use his skills well and learn and develop has been a lot of fun. So, I’m excited for him this year.”
Praise from your own camp is one thing. But Samuel has also been catching the eyes of his opponents throughout joint practices.
He reportedly beat Bills stud CB Tre’Davious White deep routinely throughout joint practices, who gushed praise: “He’s good at the line, man,” White said. “Really shifty. And he runs good routes.”
In fact, after his routine highlight plays, local beats suggested “there’s a very good chance that he plays a slightly larger role than D.J. Moore and risest to No. 1 receiver slot this season.”
The playmaking ability has always been there. Samuel blazes a 4.31 forty, and scored 7 TDs across only 13 games last year.
But it’s the refinement of this speed, into becoming a true route runner, that has helped Samuel ascend to new heights:
“He’s always fast and quick, but it’s learning and understanding how to get in and out of breaks, and how to snap out of that break with your hands presenting a good target. His catch radius I think has improved,” coach Ron Rivera. “I just think his overall game has improved.”
Even juicier, Cam Newton‘s deep ball, “largely absent” the past two seasons, has reportedly returned in 2019. At the end of 2018, Newton could “barely toss a ball 10 yards without visible pain.” Now? He’s chucking 35-40 yard bombs with ease, mostly in Samuel’s direction.
Where there’s this much smoke, fire is likely, and I’ve officially hopped on board. Samuel could truly make a Tyreek Hill style leap from athlete to football player in 2019. Thus, he’s risen up +20 spots to 72 overall on my latest Big Board.
