Who Should I Start? Isaac Guerendo or Dylan Sampson

Monday, January 6, 10:31 PM

An MRI exam on Monday morning revealed that San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (ankle, knee) suffered an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain in the loss to the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to a source. Guerendo will have plenty of time to heal up in the offseason, and the best news is that he didn't suffer any damage to his ACL. Both of the injuries are to his left leg. The 24-year-old fourth-round pick didn't see much of an opportunity in 2024 until late in the season when both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) were ruled out for the year, but when he did get his chances, he was pretty effective out of the Niners' backfield. Guerendo finished with 5.0 yards per carry for 420 yards and four TDs on 84 carries through 16 games. He should serve as valuable insurance for McCaffrey in 2025.

Saturday, May 10, 4:08 PM

Per the team's transaction log, the Cleveland Browns have signed fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson and second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger to their rookie contracts. Schwesinger will make $11.8 million over his four-year deal, while Sampson is set to make $5.13 million over his. Sampson, 20, broke out in his final season at Tennessee with a stellar 1,491 yards and 22 TDs over 258 carries, adding another 20 catches and 143 yards through the air. He took home SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Schwesinger, on the other hand, was a Butkus Award finalist (nation's best linebacker) and ranked third in the FBS with 136 total tackles. Sampson's path to playing time is a little murkier than Schwesinger's, as the latter should push for immediate snaps in the Browns' linebacker room. Still, both players stand to make an impact on a rebuilding Cleveland roster in 2025.