Newsletter: Dylan Sampson and the Opportunity Knocking
The NFL waits for nobody.
If the NFL teaches us something every year, it’s that the league waits for nobody. Nearly every franchise has an example. Those high draft selections or marquee free agents who thinks their role is promised only to learn the hard way with an off-field mistake or poor performance when on it.
The Browns are certainly no different and some might argue push the threshold on this topic. We know about the recent examples on the largest scale the premier position but there are numerous others. Mike Hall Jr.’s issue last season opened the door for more opportunity for fellow draft pick Jowon Briggs. Juan Thornhill’s poor performance and injury issues across his first two seasons opened the door for Ronnie Hickman. The list goes on; we don’t need to revisit all the history.
The Quinshon Judkins situation, which feels like an imminent suspension, cracks the door open for fellow rookie Dylan Sampson. While Sampson was likely to have a smaller role in his rookie season by most projections, he now gets the primary focus much quicker than any of us anticipated. There was always hope the fourth-selection could blossom into a full-time back but with Judkins talent getting a bulk of the early opportunity in their first season together, nothing was promised.
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