Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Dylan Sampson

Wednesday, January 8, 9:14 PM

Per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (appendix, hamstring) has been transferred to injured reserve, and his season is officially over. The 24-year-old was moved to injured reserve from the reserve/non-football illness list after recovering from appendicitis but still experiencing issues with his hamstring. It's a lost season for the rookie, who appeared in one game -- Week 2 in the team's win over the Indianapolis Colts -- playing ten snaps. Lloyd injured his hamstring in the preseason but was healthy enough to be active for their meeting with the Colts. However, he'd suffer a severe ankle sprain that would keep him out of action -- and on IR -- for seven weeks. Upon his return to team activities, he re-aggravated the hamstring injury suffered in the summer but would need immediate surgery on his appendix. Though he could recover from his surgery, the hamstring ailment is still an issue. The Packers plan to send the first-year pro to the same institute that wideout Christian Watson (knee) attended last offseason in an effort to quell the hamstring issues he had since his rookie season. While Watson just had his year cut short by a knee injury, he did not miss a single contest because of his hamstring in 2024. We'll see Lloyd again 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.