Bengals moving on from Drew Sample would not be surprising

Edit -- Drew Sample has re-signed with the Bengals so never mind then...

Cincinnati Bengals fans hadn't heard much about Drew Sample in quite some time but the latest news surrounding him is that he worked out with the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday.

The Bengals spent a second-round pick on Sample in the 2019 NFL Draft and it was a move that at the time, fans didn't have a good feeling about. Sample hadn't had a ton of production in college and while it's not a bad thing to be more of a blocking tight end, spending a second-round pick on one isn't necessarily the best idea.

Sample's best year by far came in 2020 when C.J. Uzomah missed all but two games and Sample stepped up. The Washington product caught 40 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown through 16 games and 13 starts that year. It gave Bengals fans hope that Sample could be more of a pass-catching threat.

In 2021, however, Uzomah returned and Sample went back to his backup spot and didn't do much. He missed nearly all of the 2022 season and now hits the free-agent market.

Bengals making the right move in not re-signing Drew Sample

Just because Sample is working out with the Cardinals doesn't mean he'll sign with them. There's obviously still a chance that he ends up coming back to Cincinnati after all but no one will be surprised if he's not wearing the stripes in 2023.

The Bengals signed Irv Smith Jr. to fill their TE1 spot and will likely draft another tight end to sit behind him on the depth chart. Devin Asiasi is also on the roster and served as the TE3 last year behind Hayden Hurst and Mitchell Wilcox.

If this is it for Sample in Cincinnati, the pick was disappointing but hopefully he can continue his career and get a fresh start elsewhere.