David Njoku will be a member of the Cleveland Browns for the 2020 NFL season. While the mercurial young tight end might not have always wanted it to be that way, the Browns organization has never wavered from wanting Njoku in the offense.
Browns GM Andrew Berry once again trumpeted the team’s high regard for Njoku in his Zoom press conference with reporters on Tuesday. When asked about Njoku’s recent decision to rescind his trade request, Berry laid out the big plans the team has for him and how well the player himself has handled the awkward exchange.
“I will not go into necessarily the specifics of the conversation that I had with David, but what I can tell you with David, really even since the spring and definitely since he has been back, he has been very engaged with our coaching staff and our performance staff,” Berry said. “He has shown up in terrific shape. I do think that there is an element with getting back around your teammates, your coaches and the excitement of training camp.
We have been very consistent that we think David can be a big part of where we are trying to go as a team this year and that we think he has an important role to play for this roster and for this team. We are looking forward to working with David. I think he can have a fantastic year.”
Berry speaks the truth in referring to the consistency at which he and head coach Kevin Stefanski have been bullish on Njoku’s potential in the new offense. It’s something Berry himself talked up during his press conference at the scouting combine in February and Stefanski has reiterated on multiple occasions.
Njoku withdrew his trade request last week. He made the initial request through his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, earlier this summer just hours after hiring Rosenhaus as his representation. The request contradicted Njoku’s own words from the winter and spring, where he enthused excitement about his own potential in Stefanski’s TE-friendly offense.