Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters wanted Deebo Samuel from the moment the San Francisco 49ers made him available. Peters' close ties with San Francisco helped him work out a deal to land the former Pro Bowl wide receiver.
Peters, who spent seven seasons with the 49ers before becoming Washington's GM last year, helped draft Samuel in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. Peters watched as Samuel became one of the NFC's better receivers early in his career. However, Samuel's production began to tail off in 2022, whether it was due to injuries, other players emerging, or something else.