Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Dylan Sampson

Saturday, August 2, 7:13 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner considers Trey Benson a starter. "We're both RB1," said Conner. "He's gonna play a lot this year." Benson was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He appeared in 13 games last season. However, he finished with only 291 yards and one touchdown off 63 touches. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has already indicated that Benson would be more involved during the 2025 campaign. Yet, Conner's latest comment adds more validity to Gannon's statement even more. It appears Benson could be more than an insurance policy this season, although his increased involvement won't be good for Conner's fantasy outlook. If anything, Conner could be the preferred pass-catching option out of the backfield, with Benson in line to handle the bulk of the carries.

Sunday, August 3, 2:29 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Jerome Sampson is "essentially playing the 1-B role" next to veteran Jerome Ford, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. A fourth-round rookie out of Tennessee, Sampson rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns in 13 games last season for the Volunteers. With second-round running back Quinshon Judkins still unsigned by the team due to a July arrest, Sampson appears to be in line for a significant role as a rookie. Ford is entering his fourth season in Cleveland, but he's never truly earned a workhorse role throughout a full season. The backfield mix for the Browns will remain a bit muddled until Judkins' legal situation gets ironed out, but it sounds like Ford and Sampson will share the workload relatively evenly while Judkins is out.