5 Bengals players who shouldn't be back next year

3. Drew Sample

It was a surprising move when the Bengals spent their 2019 second-round pick on Washington tight end Drew Sample. His college numbers left something to be desired and turns out, he wasn't much of a pass-catching tight end.

Sample's best year was in 2020 when C.J. Uzomah went down and missed all but two games. Sample had a career-year, grabbing 40 catches for 349 yards and a touchdown. He failed to capitalize on those numbers the next year and couldn't stay healthy in 2022, appearing in just two games before landing on IR.

Maybe the Bengals re-sign Sample as a backup option but they shouldn't. Cheaper options could be found in the draft and it's pretty clear that the team doesn't need Sample moving forward, as Mitchell Wilcox did fine replacing him this past season.