The trade demands are suddenly coming in hot and heavy this summer. The big splash of June was hearing that Jets safety Jamal Adams had demanded a trade from the team — and now with the calendar flipped to July there is another big trade demand out in the public. Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is the latest NFL athlete to voice his desire to play for someone else in 2020.
Njoku, whose trade request was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter yesterday, recently changed agents to be represented by super-agent Drew Rosenhaus — the same agent who helped former Browns RB Duke Johnson manufacture a trade out of Cleveland after a long dispute on his usage.
1/2 Browns’ TE David Njoku and his agent Drew Rosenhaus asked today for the team to trade him. The Browns told Njoku they would like to keep him, but Rosenhaus told them he’s intent on a trade. They want a trade before training camp.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 3, 2020
Njoku is a former No. 1 draft selection who has shown promise when healthy, but was forced to miss 12 games last season amid a concussion and a wrist injury that forced him onto injured reserve for the majority of the year. The 2018 season serves as the best barometer for Njoku’s talents — he logged 56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns.
A former Miami Hurricane, Njoku knows South Florida well. So, with that in mind, should the Dolphins be calling to inquire about a price?
The tight end position isn’t one that has traditionally thrived in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s offenses, but remember this: Gailey spent the last several years in retirement — there’s very little feel on whether Gailey is a long-term answer for play calling duties for a short-term bridge to another as the team further identifies their offensive identity. Yes, the Dolphins are already in possession of tight end Mike Gesicki, but the Dolphins are also in need of more dynamic plays after the catch and Njoku could compliment Gesicki’s vertical component as a seam threat by being the underneath target if Miami wanted to adopt a hybrid offense that features two “flex” tight ends on the field at the same time.
In 2018, Njoku’s last healthy season, he averaged 6.0 yards after the catch per reception. That’s nearly 50% better than what any Miami Dolphins pass catcher was able to produce in 2019. This offense would undoubtedly have a place for Njoku, who is an athletic freak with the burst and quickness of a much smaller receiver.
Coming out of the 2017 NFL Combine, Njoku logged 80th percentile or better among tight ends in the following tests:
- 40 yard dash
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- 3-cone drill
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And at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Njoku’s presence would give Miami’s offense killer size in the passing game. The 6-foot-4 Njoku would only be the third tallest target behind Gesicki and WR Preston Williams. If the Dolphins truly want to adopt a power presence in their spread offense, it is hard to envision a bigger skill group across the league than what Miami could offer with Njoku, Gesicki, Parker and Williams spacing the field and creating thin boxes for Jordan Howard and the run game.
There’s a good case to make for pursuing a trade, but what will the tight end cost? Because that would ultimately make or break any proposition of adding Njoku to the mix. Miami has multiple picks in each of the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft — but those should be considered untouchable. But if the Dolphins find Njoku is available for a middle-round pick, the team would easily be able to replace that asset with a trade back from one of their premiere picks. The Browns aren’t likely to move him from that low of a cost, however.
Should you expect the Dolphins to get involved or inquire about Njoku’s availability? Probably not. But there’s nothing stopping us from daydreaming about what it could possibly look like if Njoku returned to South Florida.