Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Will Levis (@ TB) – In a move that surprised nobody, the Titans officially named rookie Will Levis the starter going forward this week. Levis cooled off a bit in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh but has a plus matchup in week 10. The Buccaneers have given up 71.9 fantasy points in the last two games to opposing quarterbacks including 794 passing yards. Rookie C.J. Stroud shredded this Tampa Bay defense on Sunday and Levis will also have success against this secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Russell Wilson (@ Buf) – The last time we saw Wilson and the Broncos they upset the Chiefs at home. Wilson finished that game with 3 touchdowns on just 114 passing yards. It was an impressive day for Denver which has won two in a row. Up next they get to face the Bills in Buffalo coming off the bye. Buffalo is looking to put last week’s struggles behind them and I expect their defense to own this contest. Look for Buffalo to control the clock and run the ball taking the pressure off of Josh Allen.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Brian Robinson Jr. (@ Sea) – Robinson Jr. and the Commanders will be on the road again this time heading to Seattle. Washington squeaked by New England last Sunday and Robinson scored his 5th rushing touchdown of the season. The Seahawks were shredded on the ground last week by the Ravens for 298 total rushing yards. Expect the Commanders to feed Robinson early and often in this contest. Fellow running back Antonio Gibson is also worth considering as both could be in for big days.

Sit ‘Em

Jerome Ford (@ Bal) – Jerome Ford could be in for another tough day in Baltimore. The last time the Browns faced the Ravens, Ford was held to just 26 rushing yards on 9 carries. Baltimore’s defense has looked dominant, especially at home. Last week they held Kenneth Walker III to just 16 rushing yards and 1.7 total fantasy points. Sit Ford this week and most of the Browns offense.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

DJ Moore (vs. Car) – Since his week 5 explosion vs. the Washington Commanders, Moore has yet to break 10 fantasy points (Half PPR). Some of that has to do with the injury to Justin Fields and an inconsistent Bears offense. Up next Moore gets his revenge game as Chicago welcomes the Panthers on Thursday night. I see Moore finding the end zone this week vs. a surprisingly stingy Panthers secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Davante Adams (vs. NYJ) – Despite the coaching and quarterback change last week, Adams had another dud of a game. In fact Adams hasn’t broken double-digit fantasy points since week 4. Up next he gets to face the Jets defense who have locked down opposing wide receivers all year. Eventually, Adams’s numbers will pick up again just not this week.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Kyle Pitts (@ Ari) – It’s been another disappointing season for Kyle Pitts owners. Pitts has only found paydirt once this season and has struggled to produce much of anything. If you’re going to start Pitts this is the week to do it. The Falcons head west to take on the woeful Cardinals. I see Pitts finally get back in the end zone vs. an Arizona defense that has given up touchdowns in back-to-back games to opposing tight ends. The change at quarterback to Taylor Heinicke should help this offense overall which has been lackluster under Desmond Ridder.

Sit ‘Em

David Njoku (@ Bal) – As I stated earlier the entire Browns offense is due for a tough day vs. Baltimore. On top of that, Njoku is also dealing with a knee injury that is keeping him out of practice. Even if he were fully healthy I would still sit Njoku in this one. The Ravens are allowing an average of just 4.1 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.

Start of the Week

Tony Pollard (vs. NYG) – What happened to Tony Pollard this season? To say Pollard has been underwhelming is and understatement. He hasn’t found the end zone since week 1 and has only broken the 100-yard rushing mark once this year. Thankfully for Pollard and the Cowboys, they get to face the lowly Giants this week at home. The last time these two teams faced Pollard had 2 rushing touchdowns and Dallas hammered New York 40-0. Pollard will finally get back in the end zone this week as the Cowboys will look to control the clock. Dallas is a massive 16.5 favorite in this one and the point spread still may not be enough.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 10 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Russell Wilson (@ Chi) – Russ hasn’t exactly been cooking for the Broncos but there are signs of life. Wilson has had back-to-back 300+ yard games and up next is the lowly Chicago Bears. This has breakout game written all over it for the Broncos offense. The Denver defense is still in shambles so this game should go over the current 46-point total. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson targets Marvin Mims Jr. more in this matchup as he has been explosive so far in limited action.

Sit ‘Em

Joe Burrow (@ Ten) – Burrow just hasn’t looked like himself thus far and the nagging calf injury is a concern. The entire Bengals offense has been limited due to Burrow’s inability to throw the ball down the field. Up next is a Titans defense that will force Burrow to throw outside of the pocket. At this point, I would like to see Burrow sit until he is completely healthy.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

De’Von Achane (@ Buf) – If you were lucky enough to land Achane congratulations, it’s now time to slide him into your starting lineup. Sure the Dolphins have a ton of options on offense to spread the ball to but it won’t matter. Achane has shown enough that you can’t risk keeping him on your bench. I would also start Raheem Mostert (my week 3 Start of the Week) as the two combined for 8 total touchdowns last week.

Sit ‘Em

Rhamondre Stevenson (@ Dal) – Stevenson has yet to eclipse the 60+ rushing yards mark and is averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt. On top of that, Ezekiel Elliott outperformed Stevenson in week 3 rushing for 80 yards on 16 carries. The Patriots now go on the road against the Cowboys who will be looking to revenge last week’s loss against the Cardinals.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

Calvin Ridley (vs. Atl) – Ridley has been a non-factor in his last two games but that will change in London. Ridley had 15 targets in weeks 2 and 3 but only 5 receptions for 72 yards in that span including some costly drops. Up next is the Atlanta Falcons which will be a revenge game for Ridley. The entire Jaguars offense needs a reset and it’s a perfect time for them to go overseas. I see Trevor Lawrence getting some of his 2022 form back on Sunday.

Sit ‘Em

Terry McLaurin (@ Phi) – Unfortunately it’s time to sit McLaurin until we see some better results. This isn’t a knock on McLaurin more so on the offense who have failed to protect Sam Howell. It’s hard to justify starting any of the Commanders wide receivers until they get their protection issues fixed. Washington now has to go on the road at Philadelphia and their d-line will be licking their chops.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Sam LaPorta (@ GB) – LaPorta has been one of the surprises of the season so far for the Lions. The rookie tight finished TE1 in week 3 where he hauled in his first NFL touchdowns. He also had 11 targets which shows quarterback Jared Goff is trusting the young tight end. Up next is Green Bay on Thursday night in an old-fashioned NFC North battle.

Sit ‘Em

David Njoku (vs. Bal) – There was hope that Njoku would have a breakout year for the Browns but that hasn’t panned out yet. He has yet to score thus far and had a season-low 20 receiving yards last week. There are better options to start at the tight end position. Sit Njoku until he can carve out a bigger role.

Start of the Week

James Cook (vs. Mia) – Cook has yet to hit the endzone this season but that will change on Sunday. He has looked the part for the Bills and is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Next up is the Miami Dolphins and this one should be a barn burner. The Dolphins are allowing 20.4 fantasy points per game to running backs through the first 3 weeks. Look for a big game from Cook in week 4.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 4 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

There are a plethora of under-the-radar tight ends that are worth discussing heading into Week 3. With that said, I’m going to dive right into five TE sleepers to target.

David Njoku

The man of the hour, David Njoku, ousted nine grabs (on 10 targets) for 89 yards and a touchdown last night. Meanwhile, Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Bell combined for three catches against the Steelers. The scary part is that Njoku doesn’t even have Deshaun Watson at the helm. The Browns TE is owned in 33% of ESPN leagues & 51% of Yahoo leagues.

Tyler Higbee

There may still be room for the illustrious Rams TE Tyler Higbee on your roster (owned in 50% of ESPN leagues). Higbee garnered nine targets (after a whopping 11 targets in Week 1 against a deadly Bills defense) and ousted several receptions in Week 2. Ultimately, he’s second in TE targets at this point. Fantasy Pros has slotted him as the seventh-best TE moving forward.

Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas, also known as Taysom Hill before Taysom Hill, dazzled with a touchdown grab last week. He also had had 11 targets in the past two contests. Thomas registered 110 targets, 72 receptions, 670 yds, and six TDs in 2020. With Carson Wentz, he could certainly be in line to have a season at least as similar as his 2020 campaign. He is owned in 33% of Yahoo leagues & 39% of ESPN leagues, so there’s more than an “only hope” to get him off the bench.

Irv Smith Jr.

The Minnesota Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. is only owned in 35% of ESPN leagues, but he’s starting to climb the ladder. He impressively hauled in a touchdown and three catches on eight targets last week. Don’t sleep on him due to his complete in-action in Week 1. The Vikings TE will feast when opponents focus on the potential OPOY Justin Jefferson.

Juwan Johnson

The New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson (who is a bit of a deep sleeper) edged out Adam Trautman for the keys to the starting TE spot. Last week, he grabbed four catches for 40 yards. ESPN has projected Johnson to reel in 706 yards & 102 targets this season. At this point, Johnson has garnered a 69.2 grade by PFF for his work. It may be wise to target the TE in a week against a dreadful pass defense.

The post Fantasy: 5 TE sleepers entering Week 3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The tight end position in the NFL showcases greek god-like figures in Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Darren Waller. Well, I’m going to simply outline a few tight-end profiles that are under the radar and poised to become household names in the near future.

Dallas Goedert

I absolutely expect Dallas Goedert – who was on PFF’s all-underrated team in 2021 – to have a personal best season in 2022. Goedert had career-high marks in receptions (56) and yards (830) last season while missing two contests. He should certainly blossom with a wiser Jalen Hurts and an up-tick in targets after Zach Ertz is completely removed from the offense. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith may be the most popular weapons in Nick Sirianni’s offense, but Goedert should excel with frequent key match-ups for his young QB.

David Njoku

The very explosive tight end in Cleveland, David Njoku, is primed to be a Pro Bowl-caliber TE moving forward. Per ESPN, he could be the number two target (after Amari Cooper) in 2022. Kevin Stefanski has really expressed that they want Njoku to be quite involved. With or without Deshaun Watson next season, I fully expect the Browns TE that recently inked a hefty contract extension (four-year $56.75 million deal) to be involved well moving forward.

Dawson Knox

I love the outlook for the Bills TE Dawson Knox (9 touchdowns in 2021) after Cole Beasley and Emmanual Sanders were pushed out of town. It should also be said that OJ Howard shouldn’t hurt Knox’s high-end role, per PFT. I really expect Knox, who missed a couple of games last season, to be the third TE on this list to make the Pro Bowl with a potential MVP-winning QB in Josh Allen next season.

The post 3 underrated tight ends right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ivan Mulinder

The Cleveland Browns have upgraded their offense over the off-season at quarterback and at wide receiver bringing in Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper. I still believe they need to add another veteran wide receiver threat if the Browns are going to challenge the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals for the AFC Championship. What if they don’t add another quality wide receiver to their roster and run with who they have already, what will that mean to their chances of winning the AFC North and challenging for the AFC Championship? If this scenario plays out the Browns will need two players on offense to really step up and have a breakout season:

David Njoku

David Njoku was drafted in 2017 in Round 1 with pick 29. He’s 6.4, 246lbs, and ran the 40 in 4.64. His best 3 seasons have been in 2018, 2020, and 2021 where he’s played in the majority of the games. His stats are fairly consistent scoring 4 touchdowns in 2018 & 2021, with 631 receiving yards in 2018 and 475 receiving yards in 2021. His catch % has been between 65%-67% in all of these seasons and his yards per return have been between 11-13 each season. His PFF receiving grades were 65.3 in 2018, 64.1 in 2020, and 70.0 in 2021. David Njoku is a good player, but with Amari Cooper being the only great proven wide receiver talent on the team, and with the Browns often regarded as a tight end favored team, he’s going to need to take a greater load of the team’s yardage and red zone touchdowns. He was 12th in tight end touchdowns last season, but he needs to move into the top 5. Travis Kelce ranked 1st with 9 touchdowns and was second in receiving yards with 1,125 way ahead of Njoku’s 475. The Browns need to do a better job at scheming for Njoku as his catch % was actually better than Kelce’s last season so a lot is resting on this position and this player.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

There is arguably an even greater pressure on DPJ to step up. Currently, he is the Browns WR2 behind Amari Cooper so if the Browns Front Office don’t bring in another wide receiver they must have a lot of faith in him. The stats are mixed. On the positive side, PFF graded him 73.1 in receiving in 2020 although this went down to 67.0 last season. In 2021 he had 597 receiving yards on 34 receptions with 58 targets and 17.6 yards per return. He had 3 touchdowns and a catch % of 58.6%. He’s a Round 6 drafted wide receiver picked at 187, but he was badly trained and under-utilized at Michigan which is likely why he fell so far. He has a lot of potentials, but he’s really going to need to step and improve drastically if he’s going to have the production the Browns need out of their WR2 to be very successful in 2022.

The Browns have just re-signed their right defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, on a 1 year $11 million deal. This is excellent news for the Browns as it means they just need to add a run stopper in their defensive tackle room to make their defense truly elite. PFF had Clowney with 11 sacks last season, a 62.8 run defense grade, and a 69.1 pass rush grade. He’s a crucial player to the Browns defensive line and relieves the pressure on Chase Winovich to be that DE2 opposite, Garrett. Chase Winovich had his best form in 2020 with 5.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits so if he can improve upon this their DE Room will be very impressive. The Browns need their Linebackers to take the next step up and there is one player in particular they will be hoping to see make great strides forward.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

JOK fell to the Browns in the 2020 Draft in Round 2 at pick 52. He’s 6.2, 215lbs, and fly’s around the field stopping the run. Per PFF, his run defense grade was 78.7 last season with an overall grade of 76.5. In 14 games he made 3 sacks, had 2 forced fumbles (5th), 3 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, and 49 solo tackles (50th). He achieved these stats as a rookie player, so if he gets better in year 2 the Browns will have an excellent second line of defense in front of their already outstanding defensive backs.

If Njoku, DPJ, and JOK all have big seasons in 2022 then the Browns could catapult themselves into the AFC Championship talk, especially if they add a run-stopping defensive tackle and a veteran wide receiver.

The post 3 breakout candidates on the Cleveland Browns appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

During the 2021 season, the Browns found themselves constantly coming up short and ultimately having a disappointing season. Through all of the bad, there were numerous bright spots, including some from players that need to be locked up in Cleveland long term. On the flip side, there were a few players that showed they may not be worth the money they’re making. First, let’s take a look at a few players that deserve contracts.

Jadeveon Clowney

Andrew Berry has made several excellent moves since being hired as the General Manager of the Browns in 2020. The signing of Jadeveon Clowney is arguably the best signing he’s done to date. Clowney had bounced around in the league since leaving the Houston Texans in 2018. He came to Cleveland with hope to earn a long term contract while playing on a one year prove-it deal. Needless to say, Clowney absolutely balled out for the Browns in 2021. He was, as usual, and elite run defender and he finished with 9 sacks, the most he has had since 2018. One of the most impressive things was that it was very noticeable when he wasn’t on the field. They felt like a different defense without him, and playing opposite of Myles Garrett definitely benefited his play. Having them play opposite of each other for years would make their defense even scarier. Andrew Berry needs to work to sign him to a 3 year deal for roughly $10 million a year.

David Njoku

It is no secret that Kevin Stefanski loves his tight ends. They are a big part of his offense, and David Njoku has only gotten better since Stefanski took over as the head coach. The box score stats will not blow you away, but “The Chief” is arguably the only mismatch Cleveland has on their roster right now and his athletic ability is truly remarkable. His career as a whole hasn’t been consistent, but he fits this offense and appears to be ready to take another step. He has always improved as a blocker, which was below average at when he came into the league. Njoku was the Browns leading receiver in 2021 finishing with 36 receptions for 475 yards and 4 touchdowns. Adding to all of that, Njoku said in a press conference that he loves Cleveland and wants to spend the rest of his career here. Make it happen, Andrew Berry.

The next section will be hard to read if you’re a die hard Browns fan. There are a few players that the Browns could move on from, save money, and give that money to the players mentioned above and others such as Denzel Ward. Below are two players that Andrew Berry should cut/trade in the 2022 offseason.

Jarvis Landry

Some would argue that the culture change started when Jarvis Landry was traded to Cleveland in 2018. His leadership is unmatched and he’s great for the locker room. There is no denying that. The issue is, his production just doesn’t line up with his hefty contract. In 2018-2020, Jarvis had good seasons, including two Pro Bowl selections. Regardless of that, he is still overpaid and coming off the worst year of his career in 2021, finishing with 52 receptions for 570 yards and only 2 touchdowns. He looks slower on the field and struggles to get separation. There is some hope that he will restructure his contract and stay in Cleveland, but he can be cut and save the Browns almost $15 million in cap space. We will see what happens, but it may be better to move on from him entirely.

Kareem Hunt

This could honestly go either way, but there is a chance that Kareem Hunt gets traded this offseason. He and Nick Chubb have been a great one-two punch the last few years, but Hunt missed substantial time in 2021 and third string running back D’Ernest Johnson picked up the slack and looked great as the primary and secondary running back. The Browns could trade him for draft capital and save $6.25 million in cap space. It does make sense to let him get healthy and play out his last year of his contract, but if Andrew Berry wants to make a move, he has a good option in Hunt. A lot of teams would immediately use the former rushing champion as their starter. Johnson would also need a contract in this scenario, so there are a lot of moving parts. It will be interesting to see what happens

The post Which players should the Browns keep and which players should they let walk? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Marcel Boudreau (@Marcel_BFF)

There has been growing importance among the fantasy football community about having one of the top 3 fantasy tight ends, and how it gives you an extreme positional advantage. Many dynasty leagues are now tight end (TE) premiums (where tight end receive more points for production), which if you are in one of these leagues, prepare for the shift. In redraft, we’re seeing Travis Kelce picked in the first round when not too long ago, picking a tight end in the first three rounds would have been frowned upon. But now, we really need to be aware of how the tight end landscape is about to get set on fire, and how it could affect dynasty rosters. 

There are more relevant fantasy tight ends whose contracts expire after the 2021-2022 season than has ever been in an off-season. Who are they, their TE finish last season in PPR scoring, and how it affects the landscape:

Mark Andrews (TE #6): Finishing as a top 6 TE in back-to-back season, Mark Andrews is entering his fourth and final season with Baltimore. It appears we will see a better passing attack from the Ravens in 2021, which could bode really well for this touchdown machine. If the Raven’s fail to extend him, and Andrews tests the free-agent market, he could find a team willing to out-pay the Ravens, which leaves a big hole in Raven’s offense for someone to fill, but also would likely dethrone the tight end in Andrew’s new destination.

Dallas Goedert (TE #20 in 11 games; paced to be TE #9): in a year with the horrific quarterback play, they’re did shine a glimmer of hope to what Goedert could become as the lead TE in the Philadelphia offense. Goedert quickly became Jalen Hurts’ favorite target, but that could be irrelevant if Zach Ertz remains in Philly. If the Eagles fail to trade Ertz, it may leave a sour taste in Goedert’s mouth, as it would show the team really does have full confidence in him. Not only would Ertz ruin Goedert’s dynasty managers’ expectations for the upcoming season, but it would lead to Goedert and Ertz being out of Philly after 2021, especially if Goedert wants to go to an even paying team, who will use him more. 

Mike Gesicki (TE #7): The Dolphins just spent a third-round draft pick on promising TE-talent Hunter Long and extended TE Adam Shaheen in the middle of last season, which both appear like preparation moves to be without Gesicki in 2022. Gesicki would be another extremely talented TE on the market, who has shown nothing but constant improvement and has set himself up nicely to earn a big cheque. 

Evan Engram (TE #15): What was a disappointing result on 109 targets (4^th among TEs in 2020), the Giants did show they want to continue to use the TE or was it only a product of no other quality receiving options. They paid a lot of money for Golladay, have endless faith in RB star Saquon Barkley, and just picked wide receiver Kadarius Toney in the first round. But that’s not all, they also signed veteran TE Kyle Rudolph to significant money ($6,000,000/year,) and with the investment in receivers, it’s increasingly seeming that Evan Engram will be faded from this offense. It would be very surprising to see Engram be of any consistent relevance this season, but he is worth holding onto regardless of his 2021 production. Engram is a former first round pick, a freak athlete, and has Daniel Jones to blame for his recent lack in production. It would be shocking to not see another team willing to take a chance on him and give him a fresh start.

Gerald Everett (TE 24): If you’re invested in the fantasy community, you’re aware of the recent surge for Gerald Everett as a sleeper/breakout TE in 2021. Russell Wilson has been well known for producing relevant TEs, but in recent years, the Seahawks have failed to find one that can stay healthy for 16 games. Gerald Everett put up 7 catches for 135 yards against the Seahawks a few years ago, and Pete Carrol was quick to mention how amazed he was by Everett’s play that game. Everett was snagged by the Seahawks on a one-year deal (likely Everett playing the money side of things with the low cap space) and now has the offense and the quarterback to put up massive numbers, in a scheme that has been friendly to the tight end in the past. It would be fun to see Everett be either extended by the Seahawks or re-challenge the free-agent market if he does end up producing top-10 tight end numbers.

Robert Tonyan Jr. (TE #4) and Logan Thomas (TE #3) are both coming off breakout seasons. Neither of these names was on draft radars a season ago and became league-winning waiver wire adds. Both TEs are coming off seasons where they were a top-3 receiving option for their teams. Green Bay and Washington both added receiving options and have other receivers coming back from injury. These TEs have lost some steam over the off-season, and it would not be all that surprising to see them leave their current teams in 2022. 

David Njoku (TE #47) and O.J Howard (TE #58 paced to be TE #14: 4 game splayed): Both drafted in the first round showing lots of promise with their athletic profiles, and both producing top-15 TE value in their second years in the league have also both fizzled out recently and have experienced significant injuries. In 2021, these two guys will face solid competition for snaps and targets at TE in their respective offenses. It be interesting to see how many teams are willing to give them a second chance based on their athleticism and flashes of promise.

Anthony Firkser, Maxx Williams, Rob Gronkowski, C.J Uzomah, all appear to be in “filler” roles at TE. This is not taking anything away from Gronk’s 2019 performance, as he outproduced most expectations, but these four TEs are all part of explosive or efficient offenses and it would not be surprising to see their respective teams replace them with younger, promising talents to add even more weapons to their offenses, especially with some of the talented free agents hitting the market. 

Mo Alie-Cox, Eric Ebron, Jared Cook, Jordan Akins are other TE names to think about, as in all their cases, their respective teams have spent draft capital on rookie TEs, all with the potential to succeed and take over the TE role for these teams. Ian Thomas, Zach Ertz, Jimmy Graham, Chris Herndon, Dalton Shultz, are also on the list of 2022 free agent TE and deserved a mention.

To summarize this cluster of information on how to apply it to the dynasty managing world, latch on to a high-end prospect ready to hit the open market and bank that their talent will earn them a hot landing spot. Another angle to take is to acquire one of the already established TEs, whose roles, volume, and production are not in question for the next couple of years (Kelce, Kittle, Waller, Hockenson”¦?). After acquiring one of these studs, you can sit back, relax, and watch your league go crazy about the TEs in free agency next off-season. 

The post How the dynasty tight end landscape is about to change appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Austin Ebersole

In the NFL, one of the most important positions that seem to not get enough love and attention is Tight End. These unique players are asked to run routes against defenders that are most times quicker than they are and to stay on the line and block some of the world’s greatest athletes, edge rushers.

To sum it up, a lot if asked from TEs, therefore it’s hard for teams to find the right guy with the perfect combination of size, route running, ball skills, and the ability to stay on the line and block in all varying situations. This desired skill set is what makes Browns current Tight End (TE), David Njoku, an attractive asset this off-season. 

Coming out of college, David Njoku showed promise as an ideal NFL Tight End. He’s 6’4, 250 lbs, and ran a 4.64, 40 yard dash at the Combine. In his last year at Miami (FL), he had 43 receptions for 698 yards and 8 touchdowns. This god-given size and production is what led to the Browns selecting him at the end of the 1st round in the 2017 draft. 

Unfortunately for Njoku and the Browns though, the relationship between player and team hasn’t quite blossomed as much as they had hoped for to this point. Even after seeing 60 targets in his rookie year and 89 targets in 2018, an injury plagued 2019 season forced the Browns to feel like they needed to find help at the position.

They went out and signed Austin Hooper who was the most sought-after Tight End last offseason and also drafted Harrison Bryant who won the John Mackey Award for being the nation’s top senior tight end. 

With these two additions to the TE room in Cleveland and Njoku being back to full health, helping his value rise, here are a few landing spots where David Njoku could play in 2021 and beyond: 

● Arizona Cardinals 

If the Browns were to make Njoku available for trade, the Cardinals would be a great spot for the TE. Last year, Dan Arnold led the position with 42 targets and only turned that into 31 receptions for 438 yards. This production is almost identical to Njoku’s rookie season in Cleveland, but not anywhere close to his breakout sophomore season where he hauled in 56 grabs for 639 yards. 

Njoku on this roster might be exactly what Kyler Murray and this offense needs. They ranked 15th last year in pass attempts, and finished in the top 5 for using 12 personnel. With this passing volume, the opportunity is there for a TE to thrive in this offense and

getting Murray a playmaker in the middle of the field should be one of their top priorities this off-season especially if 17 year veteran Larry Fitzgerald decides to hang it up. Giving Njoku the 42 targets that Arnold saw and a portion of the 72 targets that Fitz saw in 2020, Njoku would be in for a monster year and career resurgence out in the desert. 

● New England Patriots 

One of the strangest things about the entire 2020 season was seeing the Patriots struggle to win games and not have Tom Brady under center. After two decades of running the AFC East, it’s safe to say that Belichick and company have much to think about.

One solution to help rebuild their roster could be to add Njoku. Entering this past season, PFF gave the Pats the 30th ranked tight end unit which was fitting as its most targeted TE Ryan Izzo only saw 20 targets. 

After years of having Rob Gronkowski dominate the NFL at the position, Njoku would be able to step in right away and make a difference. The Patriots finished with the fewest amount of receptions by the entire TE group with only 18 on the season.

Even with Hooper and Bryant as teammates and missing three games, Njoku himself caught 19 passes for 213 yards in 2020. When a team’s backup TE has more production than your entire unit combined, it then becomes hard to imagine Belichick not trying or wanting to improve the position this off-season. 

● Cleveland Browns 

Believe it or not, but there’s also a strong possibility that Njoku stays put. On March 17th, he will be guaranteed just slightly over $6 million which is relatively cheap for a player of his caliber.

It also helps that the Browns HC Kevin Stefanski runs one of the league’s highest tight end heavy schemes. With the Browns running 12 personnel around 29% of the time, it’s easy to see why they might not be so eager to ship Njoku out of town just yet. 

There’s no doubt that he wants to and is good enough to be a team’s number one option at the position, but it does make sense for him to finish out his contract in Cleveland. There’s a strong chance that the Browns move him before his contract becomes guaranteed in a few weeks, but it does make sense for them to hold onto him knowing how often they use two tight end sets. Either way, expect Njoku to have a great season as he will be playing in a contract year in 2021.

The post 3 Potential Trade Destinations for David Njoku appeared first on Pro Football Mania.