Bengals Cuts

[*SHRacerX*]

(09-02-2021, 07:44 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I've already provided the statistics on his blocking vs route snaps.

Sample had 868 offensive snaps.
He stayed in to block on 435 snaps (50.1%).
He ran a route on 433 snaps (49.9%).

He blocked on less snaps than Gronk, Jonnu Smith, and Higbee, and same as Darren Waller.

Sample ran the 15th most receiving route snaps out of all TEs.

He ran more route snaps than:
Mark Andrews (701 yards, 7 TDs on 429 route snaps)
Jimmy Graham (456 yards, 8 TDs on 415 route snaps)
Tyler Higbee (521 yards, 5 TDs on 367 route snaps)

Waller had just 124 more route snaps than Sample (28% more) but produced 1196-9 compared to Sample's 349-1 stat line. That's 342% of what Sample produced on yardage on just 28% more snaps.

So once again, I'll reiterate he's not doing enough in the passing game for my liking.
I want a TE who is a good receiver.
I get you want to defend his blocking, but I want to see a more prolific pass catcher.

Maybe Sample gets there this year if/when the OL is better, but I haven't seen enough from him the past two seasons to make me think he's going to be a Top 10 TE if he just gets used more/different in the passing game.

Seems odd that it is only block or route.  I remember him burning the Browns several times where he would stay in to block, but then leak out as a screen.  

Regardless, the mere fact that he ran routes doesn't mean that the offense was featuring the TE.  He may have been the fourth option in many of those route snaps, and with last year's line, the QB rarely got that far.

It seems like you would prefer that he be targeted more than he was, which he doesn't really control, but I still believe he is a solid TE.  He blocks very well and he is a solid receiver.  We can debate if he should have been selected in Rd 2, but remember, this all came from someone saying he sucked.  He doesn't.  End of story.