The Cincinnati Bengals were once again reminded of just how tough it can be to make it out of training camp without a key member of the team suffering a serious injury. The injury bug has unfortunately taken a bite out of promising defensive lineman Cam Sample as he entered a pivotal fourth season.
Sample, who recorded five sacks in three years as a rotational defensive lineman who could help play the run, suffered a torn Achilles. He will miss the entire 2024 season, putting a very young Bengals defensive line in the spotlight once again.
The Bengals have spent a ton of draft capital on their defensive line in the last few years, even using a first-round pick on former Clemson star Myles Murphy. The Sample injury has put Murphy under the microscope, making 2024 even more important for the ex-top recruit.
Murphy will see his role in Lou Anarumo's defense start to gradually rise. Even though he's only in his second year, Cincinnati will need Murphy to evolve into a respectable pass rusher as they chase a championship.
#Bengals DE Cam Sample, a fourth-round pick in 2021, suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the entire 2024 NFL season. Brutal. pic.twitter.com/v7WUvI6MCV
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 5, 2024
Cam Sample injury makes Bengals DE Myles Murphy featured player in 2024
Cincinnati will be entering the fifth consecuctive season of Murphy fans waiting for him to take a true gigantic leap forward. The former top recruit was productive at Clemson, but with 17.5 sacks in three seasons, never topping seven in any of those campaigns, some wonder if Murphy will ever turn his tremendous athletic ability into more production.
Having played 28% of defensive snaps last year, Murphy recorded just 3.0 sacks and 20 tackles in a tough rookie year. Murphy is still projected to be a second-string player behind Trey Hendrickson on one side and Sam Hubbard on the other, but the injury to Sample will assuredly boost Murphy's snaps.
While Murphy is extremely young at just 22 years old, the Bengals will likely insist on seeing a big uptick in production from their first-round pick in his second season. Sample missing the year will give the Clemson product a golden opportunity, and it would be a travesty if he is unable to make the most of it.