Hiring Todd Monken as the next Cleveland Browns head coach wasn’t at the top of most people’s list, but excitement is starting to build now that so many former colleagues and players have spoken out in support of him. Needless to say, this offense was repugnant over the past two years, and it’s comforting to know that the Browns brought in a proven old school offensive mind to try to turn things around.
Now that Monken is here and his coaching staff is starting to take shape, the next major task at hand is fixing this broken roster. This team needs plenty of help on offense and certainly will bring in linemen and weapons to elevate things, and one insider recently named one sleeper who could benefit the most from this new regime.
During a recent episode of Orange and Brown Talk, Lance Reisland and Dan Labbe suggested a few notable players who could be sneaky breakout candidates.
Reisland was asked who should be happiest about the Monken hire, and he tossed out Harold Fannin Jr., but added another name and suggested he could be a “sleeper.”
“So I would say Harold Fannin, and a sleeper guy is going to be (Dylan) Sampson. One of the things I was impressed with him is his ability to play in the slot, and if you remember when they first started, they did all kinds of motions and movements. They didn’t do that a lot with him during the season. I’m not sure why.”
Which #Browns players benefit most from Todd Monken’s arrival? @LanceReisland and @dan_labbe threw 2 names out last week. pic.twitter.com/RQh6QtCHc8
— Orange and Brown Talk (@orangebrowntalk) February 7, 2026
Sampson caught 11 passes on 11 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown over his first two games as a rookie, but he caught just 22 of 29 targets with one touchdown over the last 15 games of the season. It was disappointing to see him taper off after an intriguing start, and Reisland’s point of Sampson being a potential weapon out of the slot is certainly something this offense could use more of.
Quinshon Judkins showed the ability to be an every down back, and there is plenty of room for Monken to get creative with both of his young running backs to make sure Sampson is more of a factor than he was as a rookie.
Hopefully, the front office brings in more weapons for the passing game this offseason, but they might already have one in Sampson who is begging to be utilized more.
NEXT: Browns May Already Have A Favorite To Replace Jim Schwartz
