I recently subscribed to PFF premium and I was able to compare TE blocking grades. 31 players had blocked on 44 or more on passing plays and Sample ranked third in number of pass blocks (94). Out of those players he ranked 4th overall.

TEs rarely break out early in their careers.

Year 3 will be Samples breakout.

I was watching a game replay the other day. After most of the nice runs we had there would be Sample crawling out of the front of the pile.

But, but, but he's not a household name all around the world yet! Just wait till he's more famous and THEN infamous than Micheal Jackson!

(04-21-2021, 12:59 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Year 3 will be Samples breakout.

Sample pretty much does what he was drafted to do. He’s Reggie Kelly. Maybe that’s still a second round overdraft, but I suspect most of his critics are hung up on receiving statistics.

If they draft Chase . . . same stats - Chase will most likely get AJ Green's targets from 2020
If they draft Sewell . . . break out year - will get a share of AJ's old targets
If they draft Pitts . . . Reggie Kelly

Edited to add: I have no problem with a Reggie Kelly. Stats are fun but don't tell the whole story.

(04-21-2021, 12:43 AM)willieFANderson Wrote: I recently subscribed to PFF premium and I was able to compare TE blocking grades. 31 players had blocked on 44 or more on passing plays and Sample ranked third in number of pass blocks (94). Out of those players he ranked 4th overall.

The product of a bad offensive line. Sample shouldn't have been taken in the 2nd round, but it's hard to catch balls when you're not running routes. This is also why a lot of his catches were TE screens. Fake the block then release. Easy to sell pass blocking when you consistently do it.

"Bengals seek dose of larger Sample size"

Hobspin getting the headline together.

Certain players just seem to draw some posters hate. Sample is no where near as bad as he is made out to be. He does what he was drafted to do, and has also shown to be a decent receiver as well.

(04-21-2021, 08:21 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Certain players just seem to draw some posters hate. Sample is no where near as bad as he is made out to be. He does what he was drafted to do, and has also shown to be a decent receiver as well.

price of being an early round pick is higher expectations.

Had Sample been taken in the 6th round he'd be a favourite: he'd have exceeded all expectations and fans would generally be a lot more positive about him. Instead he was the second player off the board for the Bengals so expectations are higher.

Expectations are also higher as people forget that the Bengals traded back and received an extra 4th and 6th round picks for picking later so he's not quite as high a pick as people assume. Plus if Wrenn or Travyveon Williams had panned out - and there is still a chance that they might - people would again generally be happier with this pick.

Of course some will always be negative no matter what.

You can find blocking TE’s in later rounds and that’s my biggest issue , he shouldn’t have been taken in round 2. When you have as many holes on the roster as the Bengals did ,it just never made sense to draft a blocking TE in round 2 , same with drafting a backup QB in Finley in round 4. Sample had 349 yards receiving and 1 TD in year 2.

(04-21-2021, 08:49 AM)lone bengal Wrote: You can find blocking TE’s in later rounds and that’s my biggest issue , he shouldn’t have been taken in round 2. When you have as many holes on the roster as the Bengals did ,it just never made sense to draft a blocking TE in round 2 , same with drafting a backup QB in Finley in round 4. Sample had 349 yards receiving and 1 TD in year 2.

None of that is Sample's fault. He didn't pick where he got drafted.

(04-21-2021, 08:51 AM)Sled21 Wrote: None of that is Sample's fault. He didn't pick where he got drafted.

This ^

We have him on the team and he has been pretty solid despite where he was drafted. Imo, when we drafted him we were planning on building a really good run game above all else and Sample was viewed as the best blocking TE in the draft, at least by our coaches. We failed at running miserably due to awful OL play until Turner installed that pin and pull scheme, after Dalton got rattled every other play for over half the season. I have no issue with Sample. He's on the team, he works hard and has improved steadily so far. 

(04-21-2021, 06:01 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: If they draft Chase . . . same stats - Chase will most likely get AJ Green's targets from 2020
If they draft Sewell . . . break out year - will get a share of AJ's old targets
If they draft Pitts . . . Reggie Kelly

Edited to add: I have no problem with a Reggie Kelly. Stats are fun but don't tell the whole story.

Especially if he isn’t heavily relied on in passing game and Uzomah can get back on the trajectory he was headed before getting hurt last year. Sample can afford to be a Reggie Kelley type.

(04-21-2021, 09:11 AM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: Especially if he isn’t heavily relied on in passing game and Uzomah can get back on the trajectory he was headed before getting hurt last year. Sample can afford to be a Reggie Kelley type.

I thought Uzomah was looking to have a breakout year until he got hurt. Hope he gets back to form. The potential is there with him and he's a high character guy.

(04-21-2021, 08:51 AM)Sled21 Wrote: None of that is Sample's fault. He didn't pick where he got drafted.

Agree not saying I blame Sample , it’s just the higher a player gets drafted the greater expectations fans have for them which is reasonable in my opinion. If Sample was a 4th round pick I wouldn’t care and thats why I think the criticism of Micheal Jordan is kinda nuts, I never had high expectations for him. All early picks especially rounds 1-2 get criticized more harshly if they don’t play to where they were drafted ex. Ross, Ogbuehi, Fisher, Price. The Bengals usually crush 2nd round picks so we haven’t criticized one in a while. If Boyd or Bates didn’t produce people would criticize them too.

Was Sample overdrafted? Yes.
Is he a good player? Maybe
Should fans/coaches give up on him? No.

That pretty much covers it.

He’s the new Reggie Kelly drafted like 3 or 4 rounds too soon.

It’s not samples fault he was drafted too early, I think he gets a lot of unnecessary hate because of that.