The Kansas City Chiefs have found themselves dealing with some off-field drama involving star wide receiver Rashee Rice as of late. With off-field issues continuing to hover over him, Rice recently had to spend 30 days in jail after he violated his probation. While he got released from jail earlier this week, his status still remains up in the air for the Chiefs.
Not only is Rice recovering from a procedure he underwent to clean up his right knee, but he also could face another suspension from the NFL as a result of his off-field actions. You can make an argument that Kansas City needed more depth at wide receiver, even without considering Rice’s shaky status, but with his Week 1 availability a question mark, the team has been urged to go out and sign veteran pass catcher Deebo Samuel in free agency.
Chiefs Urged to Sign Deebo Samuel in Free Agency
When Rice has been on the field early in his career, he’s looked capable of being one of the better wide receivers in the NFL. Again, though, injuries and off-field issues have limited his availability, as he’s played in just 12 total games over the past two seasons, and it would be a surprise if he ended up being able to play in all 17 games next year.
The good news for Kansas City is that there are still several big-name wide receivers up for grabs in free agency. The best fit of the bunch may be the versatile Samuel, who is fresh off what appears set to be his only season with the Washington Commanders. It wasn’t necessarily a bad season for Samuel (72 REC, 727 YDS, 5 TD, 17 CAR, 75 YDS, 1 TD), but he didn’t make the sort of impact that the team was hoping for.
Samuel has the ability to line up all over the field, which would make him a unique weapon for head coach Andy Reid, who is always looking for ways to confuse opposing defenses. While he may not be the All-Pro caliber player he was during his prime, it couldn’t hurt to take a flier on Samuel and see what he’s capable of during training camp, especially with Rice’s status being so murky, which is why Aaron Schatz of ESPN suggested the team go out and sign him.
“The Rashee Rice situation is fairly confusing for the Chiefs. Andy Reid says that Rice will be healthy enough for training camp, but is he going to face a suspension from the league for off-field conduct?” Schatz wrote. “Enter veteran Samuel … At age 30, there’s probably still something left in the tank, and his ability to also take carries from the backfield makes him extra fun for Reid to play with in his game-planning.”
Should the Chiefs Sign Deebo Samuel?
GettyWashington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Behind Rice on the depth chart right now, the Chiefs have Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. Both guys have flashed their potential, but they carry their own injury concerns, and if either of them were to go down with some sort of ailment, that would put K.C. in a tough spot. From a pure depth standpoint alone, signing Samuel would make sense.
Add in the fact that he could be a great fit in Reid’s offense, and that makes this move even more logical for Kansas City. Samuel doesn’t appear to be in a rush to sign with a team right now, but if the Chiefs came calling, it’d be hard for him not to pick up the phone. On paper, signing Samuel seems like a shrewd move, and it will be interesting to see if the front office ends up making a push for him.
Chiefs Urged to Sign 27-TD Veteran Wide Receiver Amid ‘Confusing’ Rashee Rice Situation