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David Njoku has requested an exchange away from the Browns. A former first-round pick, Njoku clearly sees the writing on the wall in Cleveland. The team has a new coach and a main office that were not there when he was recruited. The Browns just signed Austin Hooper for a major contract, and then recruited Harrison Bryant in the fourth round.
So even though Kevin Stefanski’s offense leans more toward 12 people than almost anyone else in the league, that doesn’t necessarily mean Njoku is a big part of the team’s future. He doesn’t pay a tight end and then recruits another with a third-year extension eligible tight end sitting there if he plans to make it a priority in the future.
Not surprisingly, Njoku wants to get out. While the Browns reportedly have no immediate plans to change it, that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate on possible landing points. We are ranking our best options based on who would be best for tight end.
8. jeans
Never leave Bill O’Brien aside to trade some draft picks for a veteran player.
7. panthers
The Panthers spent much of this offseason remaking their offense. They changed Cam Newton to Teddy Bridgewater. They added Robby Anderson to work alongside DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel. They shook their offensive line. They also allowed Greg Olsen to leave for a new role with the Seahawks, leaving Ian Thomas as the only option in the tight end. Thomas has shown some dynamism in a limited role in the past two years, but he’s also averaging just nine yards per reception for his career. Njoku is more of a vertical threat, which Carolina needs to divert attention from the lower areas where Moore and Christian McCaffrey stand out.
6. Packers
The Packers entered the offseason with an apparently desperate need to improve Aaron Rodgers’ receiving body. They added … Devin Funchess and a blocking tight end. That is not the type of update they needed. Green Bay has been willing to go after athletic tight end in the recent past, agreeing deals with players like Jared Cook and Jimmy Graham, who experienced varying degrees of success on offense. Njoku is several years younger than any of those players when they arrived in Green Bay, and is expected to improve in the coming years, rather than decline.
5. Patriots
We all know how much Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels like to use tight ends. And the more athletic the tight end, the more effective they have tended to be in this offense. Njoku is a ridiculous athlete; He ranks in the 97th percentile of athletics among the NFL tight ends. New England has never been afraid of targeting elite pedigree players (Njoku was a first-round pick just a few years ago) who have, however, fallen out of favor with their current organization. And although the Patriots invested two draft picks into tight ends just a few months ago, neither player has the advantage of Njoku, who could provide his offense with an element he currently lacks.
4. Jaguars
The Jags signed former Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert earlier this offseason, but there is a reason the Bengals were willing to let Eifert walk; He simply has not been able to stay healthy during his NFL career. Jacksonville has shown an affinity for big-body targets like DJ Chark (6-foot-4, 198 pounds), Chris Conley (6-3, 205), Laviska Shenault (6-1, 227), and Eifert himself (6- 6, 255). At 6 foot 4 inches and 246 pounds, Njoku fits that mold, and would give the team more advantages than 2019 Josh Oliver’s third-round pick.
3. Washington
New head coach Ron Rivera used tight end a lot during his days with the Carolina Panthers. New offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s offense, which bears a strong resemblance to that of his father Norv, also used tight end in an important role. Washington’s current tight end options are Richard Rodgers and Jeremy Sprinkle, which doesn’t help Dwayne Haskins much. Adding Njoku would raise both the floor and ceiling of a pass capture group that currently consists of Terry McLaurin, Trey Quinn, Steven Sims, and Antonio Gandy-Golden.
2. Bengals
Cincinnati invested heavily in Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. The Bengals improved their offensive line and recruited a new wide receiver at Tee Higgins. They should get AJ Green back, assuming he signs his franchise tag, and they still have Tyler Boyd, John Ross, Joe Mixon, and Giovani Bernard. However, they lack a similarly explosive tight end. CJ Uzomah has been a good No. 2 tight end, but has not shown anything like top-tier talent. If they can get it for a low cost, Njoku would complete what is already shaping up to be a strong weapons crew for Burrow.
1. Cardinals
This is my choice for the most intriguing fit. The Cardinals love to spread the field with as many perimeter threats as possible, opening wider lanes to launch and run. They had some difficulty doing it early last season, but found more success later. Adding DeAndre Hopkins should open things up even more in 2020, and adding Njoku would take it to another level. Giving Kyler Murray another explosive target would help ensure that he takes the step forward that many predict for him next season.
Honorable mention: Bears, Raiders, Bucs.
These teams love to acquire more and more tight ends, so you can’t rule them out.
