Who Should I Start? Dylan Sampson or Kaleb Johnson

Saturday, August 9, 6:17 AM

Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson carried the ball twice for six yards and failed to catch his lone target in a 30-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers on Friday. Sampson got the start, taking his first carry of the game for a five-yard gain while rotating with Trayveon Williams. The rookie runner out of Tennessee has a chance to earn a large role alongside Jerome Ford in the Cleveland backfield thanks to the legal issues of Quinshon Judkins, who remains unsigned. Sampson will continue to state his case in Cleveland's second preseason game, which will come next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sunday, August 10, 12:43 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson turned eight carries into 20 rushing yards and hauled in one of two targets for six receiving yards in a 31-25 preseason win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie handled RB1 duties for Pittsburgh in the first half before he was eventually replaced by Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, and Lew Nichols. Although Johnson could not find much room to operate on Saturday, he notably ran through the arms of a diving Travis Hunter for a seven-yard gain early in the second quarter. The fact that veteran Jaylen Warren was inactive confirms his standing as the Steelers' featured back, meaning Johnson will need to earn playing time early in the regular season. His next opportunity to showcase his talents will come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.