Buffalo Bills free agency 2021: Top 5 targets

2. Curtis Samuel

John Brown had a nice 2020 campaign for the Bills, but he isn’t worth the potential $8.1 million cap hit Buffalo would take for keeping him in 2021. That puts this team in the market for a playmaker to keep defenses honest opposite Stefon Diggs.

Samuel is an underrated playmaker that’s prepared to hit the free agent market. He’s yet another former Panther that could make his way to Upstate New York. He lacks the size the Bills would like to have with their No. 2 receiver, but he’s another dangerous playmaker that can make life easier for Josh Allen.

Samuel caught 77 balls for 851 yards in Carolina last season, but he also ran the ball 41 times for 200 yards. The Panthers did everything they could to get him the ball in space as frequently as possible. He could add an interesting wrinkle to McDermott’s offense next season.

The big question on Samuel is just how much money he’s going to make in free agency. There are a lot of more established receivers ahead of him on the open market, but his propensity for big plays isn’t going to go unnoticed. The Bills should be holding their breath that he continues to fly under-the-radar when free agency begins.