10-25-2021, 08:02 PM
Drew Sample has been targeted 5 times this season. 2 catches for 9 yards. He has looked like a doofus on a few routes. Okay. Sure.
He has 47 catches on 64 targets in his career so far (that's a 73.4% catch rate) with one TD. Nobody is going to pretend that Sample is an amazing tight end, or even that he's a Reggie Kelly blocking stalwart. But he is hanging in there in a limited role. When C.J. Uzomah credits him for a TD he scored and someone mentions it in a thread, the thread should not immediately go in the "Drew Sample sucks" direction. Seriously, get a freaking grip.
If this is the worst high draft pick of the Taylor era, then we're going pretty well. He's still on the roster and clearly ahead of Wilcox and Moss. Last year when CJ went down, Sample was called on to catch more passes -- and he caught 40 of them. He's clearly not going to have the opportunity to match or better that this year, and it's not his role to do so. Not worth a second round pick? Sure, fine. Which tight end draft later would you prefer?
3rd round:
Josh Oliver
Jace Sternberger
Kahale Warring
Dawson Knox
4th round:
Trevon Wesco
Foster Moreau
5th round:
Zach Gentry
6th round:
Kaden Smith
7th round:
Isaac Nauta
Tommy Sweeney
Alize Mack
Caleb Wilson
Only two names on this list stand out to me, and they are Dawson Knox and Foster Moreau. I can forgive the Bengals for overlooking a couple strong tight end prospects beyond round two. Apparently Kaden Smith has had some moments, but nobody is writing home about him. Would you prefer they take someone from a different position? Okay. You can make that gripe about the majority of all draft picks ever made. Be my guest if that's your thing.
The point here is that we could do a lot worse than Drew Sample. He's replaceable, but also not a significant active detriment. And he absolutely deserves some love for helping to spring CJ for yesterday's bomb TD.
He has 47 catches on 64 targets in his career so far (that's a 73.4% catch rate) with one TD. Nobody is going to pretend that Sample is an amazing tight end, or even that he's a Reggie Kelly blocking stalwart. But he is hanging in there in a limited role. When C.J. Uzomah credits him for a TD he scored and someone mentions it in a thread, the thread should not immediately go in the "Drew Sample sucks" direction. Seriously, get a freaking grip.
If this is the worst high draft pick of the Taylor era, then we're going pretty well. He's still on the roster and clearly ahead of Wilcox and Moss. Last year when CJ went down, Sample was called on to catch more passes -- and he caught 40 of them. He's clearly not going to have the opportunity to match or better that this year, and it's not his role to do so. Not worth a second round pick? Sure, fine. Which tight end draft later would you prefer?
3rd round:
Josh Oliver
Jace Sternberger
Kahale Warring
Dawson Knox
4th round:
Trevon Wesco
Foster Moreau
5th round:
Zach Gentry
6th round:
Kaden Smith
7th round:
Isaac Nauta
Tommy Sweeney
Alize Mack
Caleb Wilson
Only two names on this list stand out to me, and they are Dawson Knox and Foster Moreau. I can forgive the Bengals for overlooking a couple strong tight end prospects beyond round two. Apparently Kaden Smith has had some moments, but nobody is writing home about him. Would you prefer they take someone from a different position? Okay. You can make that gripe about the majority of all draft picks ever made. Be my guest if that's your thing.
The point here is that we could do a lot worse than Drew Sample. He's replaceable, but also not a significant active detriment. And he absolutely deserves some love for helping to spring CJ for yesterday's bomb TD.
