Should foals switch to potentially available brown TE David Njoku?

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cleveland Browns hard end David Njoku and your representative has requested an exchange, raising the question of whether the Indianapolis Colts you should be potentially interested:

Originally a first-round pick from the Miami, Florida Browns in 2017, the 6’4 “, 246-pound tight end has shown flashes of his immense athletic ability and potential.

Njoku ran a 4.64 forty times and had a 37 ^one⁄_two vertical inch as well as a wide 11’01 “jump in the NFL Combine in 2017.

His SPARQ rating (which measures overall athletics) was at 96.9% among all NFL tight ends, which was second best in the 2017 NFL Draft class behind only the All-Pro tight end of the San Francisco 49ers . George Kittle.

Your RAS [Relative Athletic Score] It was an outstanding 9.3 out of 10.0.

Njoku recorded 5 receptions for 41 receiving yards (8.2-year average) and one touchdown reception for 4 games (1 start) in 2019, as he suffered a concussion in week 2 and was placed in the injured reserve shortly thereafter. with a broken doll earlier coming back late in the season.

However, Njoku only retired one year from a 2018 season in which he caught 56 ​​catches for 639 receiving yards (11.4-year average) and 4 touchdown catches in 16 games (14 starts).

Of course, the Browns signed 2x Pro Bowler Austin Hooper to a lucrative 4-year, $ 44 million deal to be his first tight end earlier this offseason, which is why Njoku is seeking a bigger role elsewhere.

The Colts have a Pro Bowl tight end of their own, Jack doyleas well as a versatile veteran receiver Trey burton and talent but still in development Mo Alie-Cox“But the team saw their other Pro Bowler, Eric ebronThey recently departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency this offseason.

Still only 23 years old, Njoku could be a more explosive option for the Colts, especially compared to any of his current options. Simply put, Njoku can stretch the seam in the middle of the field and offer great playability on the tight end:

Under the head coach Frank ReichThe Colts frequently use two, even three tight end sets, so Njoku could still appear prominently, even with the tight wires of the other Colts currently in the fold.

He is owed a cap of $ 1.8 million in 2020 and a cap of $ 6 million in 2021, which is the last year of his rookie contract as his fifth-year option (* already exercised by the Browns).

Now, given his tight-end depth, the Colts shouldn’t hand over an early draft pick for Njoku in any way, but if you can have a mid-round pick …

Sure why not?

As Ebron was for the Colts, with his athletic ability, Njoku could be a mismatch for the Colts in the middle of the field: too big for insurance, but too fast for linebackers in coverage.

With Doyle (30 years old) and Burton (28 years old and after hip surgery), it’s also not like the Colts couldn’t use an infusion of young talent inside their closed room.

While he’s been limited by the Browns’ quarterback’s opening play (and Baker mayfieldinconsistent initial development) and sometimes an inept offense, Njoku has a chance to be a dynamic tight end in time for the Colts, or any other potential NFL suitor willing to roll the dice.