Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Curtis Samuel

Tuesday, February 20, 12:01 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver and special teams ace Matthew Slater announced on Tuesday that he is officially retiring from professional football. Slater holds the record for most special teams Pro Bowl appearances with 10. "I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game," Slater wrote. "Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime." The former fifth-round pick by the Patriots in 2008 out of UCLA spent his entire 16-year career in New England and won three Super Bowls with the team and is the franchise's all-time leader in special teams tackles. Slater played in 239 games with the Patriots, second in team history behind only Tom Brady (285). Slater's 25 career postseason games rank ninth-most in NFL history. The 38-year-old was a team captain for 13 straight seasons.

Thursday, March 14, 6:07 PM

The Buffalo Bills signed free-agent wide receiver Curtis Samuel to a three-year, $24 million deal on Thursday that includes $15 million guaranteed. The deal is worth a maximum of $30 million. Since seeing Gabe Davis depart for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency earlier this week, the Bills have added Mack Hollins and Samuel as receiver additions for quarterback Josh Allen. Samuel, 27, spent the last three seasons with the Washington Commanders, combining for 132 catches on 192 targets for 1,296 yards and eight touchdowns in 38 games (26 starts). He will provide some much-needed receiving depth in Buffalo behind Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid, but Samuel doesn't figure to be much more than a WR3/flex option in deeper fantasy leagues on a weekly basis in 2024.