Who Should I Start? Jermaine Burton or Troy Franklin

Thursday, May 22, 1:47 PM

Cincinnati Bengals second-year wide receiver Jermaine Burton, who is coming off a tumultuous rookie campaign that saw him suspended, evicted and left behind on a road trip, has slowly made an impression on quarterback Joe Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor, according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. Burrow has pointed out Burton's growth in "maturity" as he handles his business this spring. "All he can handle is the present at this point," Taylor said. "I think he's done a good job of that this offseason. He's been in the building. He's in the building outside of work hours, doing his own thing, prehabbing to get his body right. He has attacked practice the right way, and that is what you can control right now, so I appreciate that much." It's a step in the right direction for the 23-year-old former third-rounder, but Burton has a ways to go to get back in the team's good graces.

Sunday, January 12, 4:19 PM

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin caught two of his three targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Franklin made an impact early, bringing in a 43-yard TD pass from his college teammate Bo Nix to give Denver an early lead on their first offensive drive of the game. Franklin's other reception went for 11 yards in the fourth quarter. Franklin's 54 yards and three targets were both second-most among Denver pass catchers, only less than Courtland Sutton. Throughout the regular season, Franklin struggled to find consistent opportunities as he tallied just 263 yards and two scores on 28 receptions. Franklin will look to earn a larger role in the Denver offense in his sophomore campaign.