Who Should I Start? Jermaine Burton or Cedric Tillman

Thursday, January 30, 2:42 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was selected with the No. 80 overall pick (third round) in the 2024 NFL Draft after a strong final season at Alabama. However, the 23-year-old played sparingly in his rookie season and caught just four passes for 107 yards on 14 targets in 14 games. At the Senior Bowl this year, Bengals director of player personnel spoke on Burton's status with the organization. "He's done nothing, and he's going to have to start doing something quickly. We knew we were taking a risk. We felt comfortable that we could help him through some of the challenges he's had in the past, and we're going to continue to try to help him," Tobin said. "But this is professional football, and you have to take accountability, and you have to be accountable to your teammates, your coaches, and the team that you're playing for, and he has to figure that out." Burton notably did not travel with the team for a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the 2024 campaign and seems to be falling out of favor with the coaching staff and front office quickly. The speedster could be at risk of being released or traded before the next regular season.

Tuesday, December 31, 12:06 PM

The Cleveland Browns placed wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, meaning he will not be able to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Saturday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Tillman suffered a concussion in the Week 12 upset win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers and was never able to make it back onto the field to close out his second year in the NFL due to his head injury. It's a shame, too, since the 24-year-old wideout had just been coming into his own as a big part of Cleveland's passing attack at the time when quarterback Jameis Winston was giving a spark to an offense that looked dead in the water with Deshaun Watson (Achilles). From Weeks 7-11, Tillman caught 24 passes on 40 targets for 302 yards and three TDs. He should be fully ready for next year, but his fantasy value will all hinge on what Cleveland does at QB.