Terry McLaurin expressed disappointment with Curtis Samuel’s departure from the Washington Commanders to the Buffalo Bills during the 2024 NFL free agency period. McLaurin referred to Samuel’s departure as “a loss for our room” and cited several reasons why his fellow wide receiver will be missed.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, Samuel’s strengths included his ability to make plays both inside and outside, as well as his ability to keep things light while working hard.

McLaurin acknowledges that Samuel’s three-year contract with the Bills will have a significant impact. That is possible, but it is also easy to argue that Samuel’s dual-threat skill set was rarely used to its full potential by the Commanders.

Samuel’s departure means that McLaurin is now under intense pressure to head a remade receiver corps. McLaurin will need to develop into a more versatile wideout as a result of his new responsibilities.

Terry McLaurin Can Redefine His Role

McLaurin has succeeded as an outside receiver during his five years in Washington. After four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, the 28-year-old will continue to be the Commanders’ primary target. However, without Samuel, he will need to reinvent his role.

McLaurin frequently wins by beating perimeter coverage. His straight-line speed and ability to reel in contested catches in traffic make the 2019 third-round draft choice a traditional vertical threat outside the numbers.

In Week 7, McLaurin made a stunning catch against the New York Giants, demonstrating these characteristics.

New offensive coach Kliff Kingsbury will not waste McLaurin’s outside skills, but the No. 17 can improve his game by running more inside routes. According to Pro Football Reference, McLaurin played 941 snaps last season, but just 116 of them were in the slot (Player Profiler).

It’s not like McLaurin lacks the characteristics to be a factor between the hashmarks. The 6-foot, 210-pounder has the physicality to win inside but needs to improve his after-catch performance.

McLaurin had 350 yards after reception in 2023, down from 394 the previous season. He also averaged 4.4 yards after a catch per reception last season, compared to 5.1 the previous year.

Moving between formations more frequently and practicing inside would undoubtedly enhance those statistics. In 2022, Nate Tice of The Athletic suggested a potential scenario.

Jahan Dotson’s motion (1) created room for McLaurin in the slot. Their collaboration will be critical in allowing the commanders to move on from Samuel.