Tag: David Njoku

David Njoku foreshadows Browns’ offensive evolution with Ken Dorsey

What changes is the tight end hinting to?

There has been plenty of speculation this offseason about what changes the Browns offense will undergo in 2024. It was clear that Kevin Stefanski believed that the side of the ball must evolve and grow by changing most of his offensive assistant coaches.

Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will heavily influence the changes, which will likely result in a different passing offense and a more vertical one. During his charity softball game this weekend, star tight end David Njoku was asked for his initial impression of the Dorsey playbook, to which he simply replied, “It’s juicy, dawg.”

You can’t help but watch the Buffalo Bills the last few years with Dorsey and think you will be seeing something similar to that blended into what has worked so well for Stefanski. It won’t be a completely different offense, of course, but more a mix of strengths to take things to the next level as the team pushes for a championship.

Watch: Travis Kelce wins Home Run Derby at David Njoku’s charity game

The Cleveland native captured glory on Saturday

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku held a star-studded charity softball game on Saturday. A ton of celebrities were in town, including former Browns players Kareem Hunt, Jacoby Brissett, Mack Wilson, and Josh Gordon.

During the home run derby before the game, Kareem Hunt squared off in the finals with his former teammate and Cleveland native Travis Kelce. In the final round, Kelce beat Hunt by a score of 11-10 to capture the home run derby crown.

The videos from the event showed a great time, and the packed house indicates that Njoku’s event raised plenty of money for charity. The event supported several charities in the Cleveland area. Njoku wanted to cast a wide net and help as many people as he could, and I would say that he accomplished that objective.

Next up for the team is a few last practices during the mandatory minicamp before they break for the summer.

Better than average: Tight Ends

Which tight ends were truly the best against specific defenses?

As always, there are so few difference-making tight ends that after the top five of the position, there’s only moderate to mediocre fantasy value in all the rest. But as with the other positions, here are how tight ends fared considering how they stacked up against all other tight ends that faced the same defense.

See Also: Better than average
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers

Evan Engram has been the No. 2 and No. 4 fantasy tight end for his two seasons in Jacksonville and yet is drafted as the No. 6 or No. 7 tight end in drafts this summer. This despite how good he played in most games. He was the only tight end that turned in over half of his games as a Top-4 tight end.

The position holds so few difference-makers that this listing shows which tight ends receive enough volume to end with Top-8 games. Newcomer Sam LaPorta shattered what we expect from a rookie tight end, and now has to avoid becoming the next Kyle Pitts. That shouldn’t be a problem since he’ll still have Jared Goff throwing the ball instead of Desmond Ridder who limited Pitts.

It was also encouraging to see how highly David Njoku and Cole Kmet rated in this metric. Trey McBride is popular this season, but his stats were boosted by three big games as the No. 1 for that defense.

LaPorta was dazzling as a rookie, and it wasn’t a case of him being the only receiver for the Lions. Travis Kelce dropped from 2023 when he had six No. 1 performances, and all 17 games were Top-8 against that defense. The fall may have seemed Swift, but he still was No. 2 for those big games.

T.J. Hockenson has been a beast for the Lions but blew an ACL and won’t be up to speed to start the year. The biggest surprise in the No. 1 performances was David Njoku, who ended as the No. 5 fantasy tight end in 2023 and has been going as the No. 8 or No. 9 tight end this summer.

Browns have a major weakness on offense heading into the season

The Cleveland Browns have a major weakness behind David Njoku heading into the 2024 NFL season

The Cleveland Browns have one major weakness heading out of the second OTA session.

After re-inventing the offense this offseason, the Browns are fragile at the tight end position. The team failed to grow their passing offense since acquiring Deshaun Watson and needed to shake their system up.
The organization addressed their problems in the passing game with every offensive coaching hire, trade, free agent signing, and draft pick. The team is embracing a modern offensive approach, theyโ€™ll rely on three wide receiver sets out of shotgun this season.

Shedding their offensive identity of heavier personnel packages has exposed a weakness in the tight end room. Former Brownsโ€™ tight end Harrison Bryant joined the Raiders on a 1-year $3.25 million contract. The Cleveland Browns have five tight ends on the roster; David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Zaire Mitchell-Paden, newcomers Giovanni Ricci, and Treyton Welch.

Njoku is one of the best tight ends in the league. He is a good blocker and a threat in the receiving game. He proved his toughness last season after playing through multiple injuries, including serious burns. The Browns are relying heavily on him playing the entire season. None of the tight ends on the roster can echo his skill set. The room is composed of specialists, who play their roles very well. However, they lack the comprehensive skills to play on the line of scrimmage for all three downs.

Akins is a 6-foot-4-inch receiving threat as he uses his large frame to box out smaller defenders. After six years in the league, he hasnโ€™t become a capable blocker. The Browns brought in Ricci, on a 1 year $1.1 million deal, to be their blocking specialist. The Ohio native was primarily used as a fullback or blocking tight end during his time with the Carolina Panthers. He has shown limited upside as a receiver.

Mitchell-Paden hasnโ€™t played a snap for the Browns during the regular season in the two years heโ€™s been around the team. Hopefully, the former undrafted free agent makes the 53-man roster this season. Welch is an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming and will be battling for a position on the practice squad this summer. The room lacks the adaptability needed to back up Njoku.

Njoku is a versatile weapon and a special tool for Kevin Stefanski. Njoku can line up on the line of scrimmage as a blocker or be flexed out into the slot as a receiver. The Browns cannot find a player to mimic Njoku. The problem is, if Njoku misses time, the Browns lack a complete tight end that can fill in for him in an emergency. Akins cannot play inline as heโ€™s a vulnerability in the running game. Ricci cannot operate as a receiver on the line of scrimmage. The two are talented players who excel in their specific roles. However, the Browns are missing an adequate tight end that can contribute to the passing and the run game. The Browns must find a competent backup for Njoku before the season begins.

Browns TE David Njoku stars in new Adidas commercial with Patrick Mahomes and other NFL stars

The Chief is surrounded by elite company.

The Cleveland Browns bet on the development of their super-athlete at tight end, David Njoku, and have won big. Now, fresh from his breakout season and first Pro Bowl appearance, Njoku gets featured in an Adidas commercial with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Njoku is starting to gain notoriety as one of the best tight ends in the NFL after racking up 882 yards and six touchdowns, leading all tight ends in yards after the catch in 2023. That contract extension looks like a bargain now, and don’t sleep on Njoku getting yet another new deal done next offseason if he continues in his dominant ways.

You can see the full commercial below, posted on Adidas’s Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7Rv3gyJ38B/?igsh=MTEycWhjZHdvZzg4ZQ==

Fantasy Football Consistency Rankings – Tight Ends

A difference-maker at tight is rare, but a consistently good tight end is even more advantageous.

This ranking considers tight ends that started at least 11 games in 2023. Fantasy points were derived using one point per 10 yards rushed or received, six-point touchdowns rushed and one point receptions. Given that the position supplies only around 10 players of any fantasy note, there aren’t a lot of surprises here.

See Also:ย  Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers

Tight End Consistency

Tight Ends 10-Pt % GMS 10-pt 20-pt 5-catch 50-yard TD
T.J. Hockenson 80% 15 12 3 12 13 4
Travis Kelce 73% 15 11 3 11 9 5
Mark Andrews 70% 10 7 2 4 5 4
David Njoku 69% 16 11 2 9 8 5
Evan Engram 59% 17 10 3 13 9 3
Sam LaPorta 59% 17 10 3 10 8 7
George Kittle 56% 16 9 4 5 10 4
Cole Kmet 53% 15 8 2 9 5 4
Jake Ferguson 53% 17 9 1 7 5 5
Taysom Hill 50% 16 8 1 1 3 2
Trey McBride 47% 17 8 4 8 6 3
Dalton Schultz 47% 15 7 1 4 6 5
Dalton Kincaid 44% 16 7 0 9 6 2
Tucker Kraft 40% 10 4 0 1 3 2
Hunter Henry 38% 13 5 0 3 4 5
Jonnu Smith 33% 15 5 1 4 4 3
Darren Waller 33% 12 4 1 6 4 1
Donald Parham 33% 12 4 0 1 2 3
Logan Thomas 31% 16 5 1 5 3 4
Isaiah Likely 31% 13 4 0 2 3 4
Juwan Johnson 31% 13 4 1 2 1 4
Dallas Goedert 29% 14 4 1 7 4 3
Gerald Everett 27% 15 4 0 4 0 3
Tyler Higbee 27% 15 4 0 5 3 1
Michael Mayer 25% 12 3 0 1 1 2
Kyle Pitts 24% 17 4 0 2 4 3
Tyler Conklin 24% 17 4 0 4 6 0

T.J. Hockenson was the most consistent tight end in 2023. But his knee injury may force him to miss a sizable chunk of this season.ย  Mark Andrews broke his leg as well, but is expected back. David Njoku had few big games but was one of the most consistent tight ends and Sam LaPorta shattered what we expect from a rookie. Nine tight ends managed over 10 points in more than half of their games, so most fantasy teams should avoid from having the position as a liability.

Travis Kelce may have dropped last year, but he was still elite regardless. There’s consistency from year to year with upper-tier in the position because those players have proven to be a big part of their offense’s passing scheme.

20-Pt Gm 5 Catch Gm 50-yard Gm TD Gm
George Kittle 4 Evan Engram 13 T.J. Hockenson 13 Sam LaPorta 7
Trey McBride 4 T.J. Hockenson 12 George Kittle 10 Travis Kelce 5
T.J. Hockenson 3 Travis Kelce 11 Travis Kelce 9 David Njoku 5
Travis Kelce 3 Sam LaPorta 10 Evan Engram 9 Jake Ferguson 5
Evan Engram 3 David Njoku 9 David Njoku 8 Dalton Schultz 5
Sam LaPorta 3 Cole Kmet 9 Sam LaPorta 8 Hunter Henry 5
Mark Andrews 2 Dalton Kincaid 9 Trey McBride 6
David Njoku 2 Trey McBride 8 Dalton Schultz 6
Cole Kmet 2 Jake Ferguson 7 Dalton Kincaid 6
Dallas Goedert 7 Tyler Conklin 6

A twenty-point game is a monster performance for this position and while George Kittle rated only No. 7 and Trey McBride No. 11 in ten point games, they were the only tight ends with four 20-point performances.ย  For McBride, the second-rounder from 2023 is only getting started in his career. Fellow rookie Sam LaPorta was even better, logging seven games with a touchdown when no other tight end had more than five.

Browns TE David Njoku shows off flashy new helmet

Njoku gives the fans a shot of his new helmet

The Cleveland Browns are set to bring back the white facemasks full-time in 2024, and tight end David Njoku is a huge fan of his new helmet.

Taking to Instagram to show off his new helmet, there is no doubt the Browns made a serious upgrade to their lids. Not only did the Browns bring back the white facemasks, but they also changed the finish of their helmets back to gloss from the matte finish they have had since 2015.

The Browns had worn the white facemasks as an alternate look over the past two seasons, and they were always a fan favorite. The ownership group has listened to the fans and brought back the fresh look on an every-week basis starting this season. What a great time to be alive.

You can see Njoku’s video he posted to Instagram below:

Browns tight end David Njoku will not accept any Cleveland slander

There will be no Cleveland slander around the tight end

It has been a rollercoaster of a journey for tight end David Njoku during his time with the Clevland Browns. He came into the league as a raw player with freakish athleticism, lacking the ability to be a factor as a run blocker.

He would go on to have great moments, drop concerns, and even request a trade back in 2020 when Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry came to town. But Njoku was denied his request and instead put his head down and worked hard to become a complete tight end and one of the best in the league last season.

Earlier this offseason, Njoku clapped back at Cowboys star Micha Parsons when he slandered the city of Cleveland. Njoku said he would not accept talking bad about the city, crediting Cleveland for raising him after he came into the NFL at only 20 years old. He continued to say he would never accept slander on his city and that will never change.

WATCH: Browns TE David Njoku joins Deshaun Watson’s podcast to talk toughness

Njoku talked about how bad some injuries actually are

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku went to Los Angeles this past week to get some practice in with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who continues to work his way back after shoulder surgery.

This is important because the two haven’t been able to get on the same page on the field, and we saw after Watson’s injury just how valuable Njoku can be to the Browns offense.

While appearing on Watson’s podcast QB Unplugged on Lockerverse, Njoku discussed injuries in the NFL. He said that fans and media only know a small fraction of the injuries and pain the players experience.

He pointed out how fans calling out players for being injured doesn’t make sense when they don’t know what the players routinely play through. The Browns dealt with a ton of injuries last season, and players found a way to fight through them and still win 11 games.

The NFL draft is just around the corner as the offseason rages on toward the 2024 season.

Browns TE David Njoku responds to silly suggestion he could be a cap casualty

Just like with Nick Chubb the Browns arenโ€™t cutting David Njoku

With free agency drawing closer and closer analysts continue to predict how the offseason will play out. Recently on a PFF podcast talking about how to fix the Cleveland Browns, it was suggested that tight end David Njoku could be a prime candidate to be cut.

Of course, that doesn’t make much sense, especially when you realize he just restructured his contract last year to create cap relief. The Browns are not cutting their star players because of the cap number. Browns general manager Andrew Berry is great at cap manipulation, and suggesting anything different just isnโ€™t factual.

And now the star tight end has responded to the suggestion on Twitter by telling Adam Rank of NFL Network (who predicted a horrible 2023 season) to come get his little brother. Of course, itโ€™s all in good fun but the chief himself is pointing out how silly these rumors are that the Browns will cut their best players because of Deshaun Watsonโ€™s contract.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]