Why the Patriots should strongly consider trading for TE David Njoku

It’s time for the Patriots to solidify the tight end position.

It’s time for the New England Patriots to solidify the tight end position.

Bill Belichick has done very little since Rob Gronkowski’s retirement to shore up a position that has been so important to the team in recent years. Gronkowski and a slew of top-tier tight ends have coexisted on New England’s depth chart and created matchup nightmares for opposing defenses.

The Patriots had Benjamin Watson, Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo as Tom Brady’s tight end corps last season — that didn’t workout. Collectively, they had less than 500 receiving yards and a grand total of two touchdowns.

Belichick passed up on expensive free agent options this offseason, selecting Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in the draft. Asiasi will likely take the starting role and Keene will be used more as a hybrid — spending time as a fullback and tight end. LaCosse, Izzo and two undrafted rookies are the next-best options.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on Friday that Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has requested a trade and he wants out before training camp. Joining up with Belichick and newly-signed Cam Newton would be the perfect scenario for the young and blossoming tight end.

Njoku spent his first three seasons in Cleveland and as a result, his production has been limited. The Browns have struggled mightily over the past couple decades and Njoku wasn’t in a place where he could reach his full potential. Jamie Collins is a perfect example of this.

He dealt with a wrist injury last season and only played four games, with very little production. His best season came in 2018, where he recorded 56 receptions for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Njoku, 23, is a 6-foot-4, 250 pound speedster who runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. He would be the surefire starter and would provide and large and athletic body for the redzone.

Njoku would also compliment Newton perfectly as well, who sits with a 6-foot-5 frame. Newton thrives with larger targets and he already has a few on the roster with Asiasi, N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu. Njoku’s presence would give the Patriots a strong blocker who’s ascending as a pass-catcher.

Logistically, Belichick would have to move some things around to make it happen. But, Njoku’s $3 million cap hit is extremely helpful in making it happen. The Patriots have less than $1 million in cap space, but they could create the necessary room by converting salaries to signing bonuses and making minor adjustments.

The primary issue would come with the Browns and what they would want in return for Njoku. New England lost a third-round pick for the 2021 season and Njoku is a former first-round pick. Belichick would have to get crafty in what he’s willing to give up.

This move would require some effort, but the Patriots desperately need veteran experience to compete in training camp. Njoku to the Patriots would help this new-look team prepare for a deep playoff run.

[vertical-gallery id=90105]

 

Should Packers be interested in a trade for Browns TE David Njoku?

The Packers are unproven at tight end, but does attempting to trade for Browns TE David Njoku make sense?

If GM Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are interested in adding more help in the passing game, a talented young tight end is now on the trade block.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Friday that Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, a first-round pick of the team in 2017, has officially requested a trade.

Njoku played in only four games after breaking his wrist last season, catching just five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown during a disappointing third year. The former Miami Hurricane caught 56 passes for 639 yards and four scores during a breakout second season in 2018, but now the Browns are moving forward with prized free agent Austin Hooper and fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant.

Maybe the Packers and Browns could swing another deal.

The Packers have talent but are unproven at tight end, where 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger is expected to take over for Jimmy Graham as the team’s top pass-catching target at the position. The group also features veteran run blocker Marcedes Lewis, third-year receiver-convert Robert Tonyan and third-round rookie Josiah Deguara, complicating the depth chart if the Packers actually wanted to add Njoku to the mix.

However, there’s little doubt Njoku would provide a jolt of pass-catching talent to the passing game. Still only 23, Njoku is a rare combination of size (6-4, 246), speed (4.64), explosiveness (40″ vertical, 11-1 broad jump) and quickness (6.97 three-cone). If he can stay healthy and his development as a player matches his physical tools, Njoku has the potential to be a difference-making player, especially as a receiver.

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t had a tight end with Njoku’s combination of athletic gifts since Jermichael Finley.

The Packers have been in search of an explosive playmaker on offense since at least last year’s trading deadline. A deal never happened, and the Packers largely ignored the passing game this offseason, swapping out Geronimo Allison for Devin Funchess and drafting Deguara in the third round. Njoku wouldn’t solve the bigger problem – a lack of proven talent at receiver – but he’d provide another athletic threat and possible mismatch player at tight end, a position coach Matt LaFleur likes to use to force the defense’s hand and provide disguise pre-snap.

Of course, there’s real risk here. Njoku is coming off a lost season, and his consistency issues – especially catching the ball – are troubling for a player of his talent. There’s clearly some untapped potential, but potential isn’t valuable until it’s actually realized, and many young talents fade away before realizing their full potential.

According to Pro Football Focus, Njoku ranks 30th in overall grade among tight ends since 2017, highlighting his room for improvement. The Packers might feel much more comfortable just going into 2020 banking on a big second-year leap from Sternberger.

Also, the Browns will likely want decent compensation for the former first-round pick.

Still, the Packers – a team that chased after Hooper in free agency and then missed out on many of the top receivers in the draft – should be interested, especially if the Browns get to a point where moving Njoku becomes a priority.

At the right price, Njoku could give the Packers offense help at a key position while providing quarterback Aaron Rodgers with one more explosive weapon – one resembling Finley, Green Bay’s last true threat at tight end – in the passing game. Dealing for Njoku would come with risks, but the idea is worth entertaining for a team like the Packers.

Report: Browns tight end David Njoku seeking a trade

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku wants a trade, according to his agent. Where might he land?

Last season, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski crafted an offense that relied heavily on play-action passing. That system made Kirk Cousins into one of the game’s more efficient passers in 2019, particularly on play-action throws.

One element of the Vikings’ offense from 2019 was the use of 12 personnel, a package that utilizes two wide receivers, two tight ends and a single running back. The Vikings implemented that personnel package on 34% of their offensive plays (accounting for 363 snaps), second only to the Philadelphia Eagles.

When Stefanski left Minnesota for the AFC North, becoming the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, it was widely assumed that he would look to carve out a similar offense for Baker Mayfield. When the team added Austin Hooper, on of the most coveted tight ends available in free agency, it seemed that Stefanski was certainly moving in that direction. Hooper joined a tight end group that included David Njoku, a first-rounder in the 2017 draft.

That design might have taken a hit in the past few days.

On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter filed a report that Njoku was looking to be traded from Cleveland:

Njoku was viewed as an impressive prospect at the tight end position coming out of the University of Miami, but failed to live up to some of the pre-draft expectations that were in place. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie in 2017 and made five starts, catching 32 passes on 60 targets for 386 yards and four touchdowns. His breakout season of 2018, if it could be considered such a thing, saw him appear in all 16 games once more with 14 starts, and catch 56 passes on 88 targets for 639 yards and again four touchdowns.

Last season, however, was a step back for Njoku. He appeared in only four games, with five receptions for 41 yards and a single touchdown, as his season was limited due to a wrist injury early in the season that resulted in him being placed on Injured Reserve with the “Designated to Return” qualifier. Njoku suffered that injury in a Week 2 win over the New York Jets, and did not return to action until Week 13.

Complicating matters for Njoku in Cleveland, beyond the addition of Hooper, is the fact that the Browns added rookie Harrison Bryant from Florida Atlantic in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. While this class was viewed as a weaker crop at the tight end position, Bryant showed some athleticism both at FAU as well as the Senior Bowl, and could be the move tight end to complement Hooper’s more traditional inline role.

The Browns might not lack for suitors for Njoku, as his size and athleticism will still make him an intriguing option for a team looking to bolster their tight end group. One franchise to watch, as always, is the New England Patriots. Their TE room a year ago was a black hole, and while they drafted a pair of rookies in Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, anytime a veteran player becomes available most minds think of Bill Belichick. Another team to watch might be the Dallas Cowboys, who enter 2020 with Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz as their top two options at tight end, along with a pair of UDFAs in Sean McKeon from Michigan and Charlie Taumoepeau from Portland State.

David Njoku ready to roll in Browns ‘very tight end friendly’ new offense

David Njoku ready to roll in Browns ‘very tight end friendly’ new offense

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is facing a make-or-break season with the team. The Browns picked up the fifth-year option on Njoku’s rookie contract, but his long-term status is far from secure.

Njoku is doing what he can to make sure his fourth season in Cleveland is his best. The 2017 first-round pick has added more lean muscle to his already-impressive physique and is training several hours per day in Miami to get ready.

He joined Cleveland Browns Daily on Friday to talk about the opportunity in front of him in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense. In Minnesota, Stefanski used two tight ends in the formation more than any other team in 2019 and that expects to carry to Cleveland. Njoku is liking what he sees so far.

“It’s been a lot more fun than I thought,” Njoku told host Nathan Zegura. “This offense is very tight end friendly, so we have a bunch of scenarios where we are all over the place and having a lot of fun on the field.”

He later stated he’s focusing on continuing to get faster and also to refine his blocking technique.

The Hurry Up Podcast: National Perspective w/ NFL Network’s Marc Sessler

The Hurry Up Podcast: National Perspective w/ NFL Network’s Marc Sessler

Marc Sessler, NFL Network and Around the NFL Podcast, stops by to give his thoughts on the Cleveland Browns offseason, the difference between the national perspective and local perspective on the team, and choosing to be a Browns fan growing up.

Host Mac Robinson also breaks down the Browns later round draft picks, his favorite pick of the Browns draft, and even goes into some of the Browns’ recent roster moves!

Be sure to follow Mac (@MacRobinson95) and the podcast (@HurryUpPodcast) on Twitter for all of the latest news and notes surrounding the podcast, the Browns, and all things football! Feel free to support the podcast today by becoming a patron!

Browns officially pick up 5th-year options on Myles Garrett and David Njoku

Browns officially pick up 5th-year options on Myles Garrett and David Njoku

It didn’t take long for the reports to become reality. On Monday, mere hours after reports circulated stating the Browns intended to pick up the 5th-year contract options on EDGE Myles Garrett and TE David Njoku, the team made it official.

The Browns exercised the contract options on both members of the 2017 NFL Draft first round still with the team. The third, Jabrill Peppers, was traded to the New York Giants last year.

Picking up the option keeps Garrett and Njoku under the Browns’ contractual control through at least the 2021 season. The players would have been free agents after the 2020 season otherwise.

[lawrence-related id=45533]

Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski prove men of their words on David Njoku

Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski prove men of their words on David Njoku by exercising the Browns TE’s fifth-year option

The Cleveland Browns have been a difficult team to trust in the last few years. The ever-changing front office and coaching staffs have often operated with just one hand clapping.

It’s early, but thus far the new regime of GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski are joined in hand. Even better, they have proven that their words mean something.

Unlike when Freddie Kitchens would gruffly state he’s not answering any questions on a topic and subsequently spend the next 10 minutes discussing said topic, or when Sashi Brown would tell players they were more than numbers before treating them exactly like a faceless number, the new Browns regime is backing up its words with actions. Picking up the fifth-year option on tight end David Njoku’s contract is a great example.

The Browns exercised the option on Njoku’s contract on Monday. Even after the first reports of the action started to leak out, skeptical fans and media wondered if it was legit. The team signed Austin Hooper in free agency to the richest deal ever signed by a tight end, then drafted promising young Harrison Bryant over the weekend.

Would they really keep three prominent tight ends? Are they still confident in Njoku, who has occasionally flashed greatness but largely underwhelmed in his first three seasons?

Berry and Stefanski both insisted to the skeptical masses that they did highly value Njoku. It wasn’t just diplomatic speak. They proved it by exercising Njoku’s option that will keep him in Cleveland through the end of the 2021 season.

Think of what that means to a player like Njoku, still precocious at just 23 years old. Think of what it means to the locker room, telling players that they’ll get the chance to prove themselves and won’t get thrown away hastily.

Men of their word. That’s a refreshing way for the Browns to conduct business.

Report: Browns pick up 5th-year options on Myles Garrett and David Njoku

The Cleveland Browns will pick up the 5th-year contract options on DE Myles Garrett and TE David Njoku, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter

Myles Garrett and David Njoku will be members of the Cleveland Browns through at least the end of the 2021 season. That is per a report from ESPN’s Jake Trotter on Monday. Per Trotter, the Browns will exercise their club options for the fifth year of their respective rookie contracts.

Garrett and Njoku were first-round picks by the Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft. The first four years of their contracts are set, but all first-round picks come with fifth-year options at the club’s discretion. The Browns had until May 3rd to pick up those options.

Garrett’s option was a no-brainer, but there was some question about if the team would exercise the option on Njoku. After signing TE Austin Hooper to a massive contract in free agency and then drafting promising young Harrison Bryant over the weekend, Njoku faces an uncertain role and future. By exercising the option, the team decided that Njoku’s value is enough to keep for at least one more season…barring any trade activity. The Browns already traded the third member from the 2017 first-round class, safety Jabrill Peppers.

[lawrence-related id=45396]

The team does still have the ability to sign either player to a new contract extension before the end of the exercised options.

The Hurry Up Podcast: NFL Draft recap with Stephen Thomas

The Hurry Up Podcast: NFL Draft recap with Stephen Thomas

Host Mac Robinson wraps up Draft Week with Mock-Draft-aholic Stephen Thomas (@BrownsMockDraft on Twitter) as they breakdown all seven members of the Cleveland Browns 2020 Draft Class, as well as look at some of the undrafted free agent signings! They also look across the division and the league to give some of their favorite draft picks and who could be the stars of tomorrow!

Be sure to follow Mac (@MacRobinson95) and the podcast (@HurryUpPodcast) on Twitter for all of the latest news and notes surrounding the podcast, the Browns, and all things football! Feel free to support the podcast today by becoming a patron!

[protected-iframe id=”6381bb369335c09b415b6575e4c534af-105974707-80829973″ info=”https://anchor.fm/hurryuppodcast/embed/episodes/Browns-Select-OT-Jedrick-Wills-at-10-NFL-Draft-Reaction-ed6kg8/a-a20d536″ width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski stress David Njoku’s importance to the Browns

Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski stress David Njoku’s importance to the Browns after signing Austin Hooper and drafting Harrison Bryant

It raised some eyebrows when the Cleveland Browns drafted Florida Atlantic tight end Harrison Bryant in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday. After already signing Austin Hooper to the biggest contract ever for a tight end this offseason, adding the Mackey Award-winning Bryant, the nation’s leader in receptions and yards by a tight end in 2019, makes for a crowded room with former first-round pick David Njoku still around.

Njoku’s future is something that has been cast into doubt in the past as well, but both GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski once again reaffirmed their commitment and pleasure at keeping the enigmatic Njoku on the roster.

“We still have a ton of belief in David,” Berry said of Njoku in his post-draft teleconference. “He’s a guy with outstanding physical tools. We still think the future’s very bright for him. We see David as part of our long-term plans”.

Coach Stefanski offered more detail. He noted how he has a plan to incorporate the particular set of skills that Hooper, Njoku and Bryant each bring to the offense.

“I really think there’s a way to get all these guys on the field, sometimes at the same time,’’ he said. “Sometimes not. There’s versatility in that position. Being able to move guys around the formation is a very big deal. … Sometimes you go into a game and you like to keep them in their base scheme three linebackers on the field, keep them out of their nickel sub-packages, which can a lot of times bring some exotic pressure.’’

While serving as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota, Stefanski’s offense often deployed two tight ends and did use packages with three. The second tight end saw more passing targets than the No. 3 wide receiver in both 2018 and 2019.