Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Juwan Johnson

Monday, March 11, 4:49 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed tight end Drew Sample to a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension on Monday, according to a source. Sample will receive $3.5 million in 2024. In his fifth year with the Bengals in 2023, Sample had 22 catches on 27 targets for 163 yards and a career-high two touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts). Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox and Irv Smith Jr. are all free agents, but one or more of them could be retained or the Bengals could add competition at the position through the NFL draft. The 27-year-old Sample has accumulated just 80 receptions (103 targets) for 621 yards and three touchdowns in his five years in the NFL with Cincy, so it would be unrealistic to expect the Bengals to utilize him as their unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching TE in 2024.

Monday, November 18, 2:36 AM

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson caught all three of his targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-14 victory over the Browns. The score came from one yard out and was Johnson's first trip to the end zone since Week 1 and was just the second touchdown against the Browns by an opposing tight end this season. Johnson also impressed with an acrobatic catch for a 20-yard gain in the second quarter, turning and jumping for the pass and reeling it in while twisting around mid-air. On the downside, he was responsible for a holding penalty in the first quarter that negated a 29-yard pickup on a 4th-and-1 that would have brought the Saints to Cleveland's four-yard line. Despite the injuries that have wrecked the Saints' wide receiver room, Johnson has not seen a significant uptick in production. Through 11 games, he now has 25 receptions for 277 yards with two touchdowns on 32 targets. The Saints are on bye in Week 12, then return to face the Rams where Johnson will once again be a touchdown-dependent dart throw.