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TE David Njoku, CLE (1 Viewer)

David Njoku caught 4-of-4 targets for 25 yards in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles.

One of Njoku's receptions was a 10-yarder he nearly made an 11-yard touchdown with a leap for the goal line. Likely to sit out next week's preseason finale, Njoku finishes the summer with six catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns as a near every-down player. A special athlete at the tight end position in an offense with targets for the taking, Njoku could crash the TE1 party as a sophomore.

Aug 23 - 11:41 PM
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What do we think of Njoku as a late round pick at TE? Seems that have more upside than more than a few guys ahead of him. If and when Mayfield starts, I’m even more optimistic. Yardage may be somewhat capped but I think he can easily score 7 TDs.

 
ponchsox said:
What do we think of Njoku as a late round pick at TE? Seems that have more upside than more than a few guys ahead of him. If and when Mayfield starts, I’m even more optimistic. Yardage may be somewhat capped but I think he can easily score 7 TDs.
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I don't think he 'should' last till the late rounds.

Last year DeShone Kizer only threw 11 TDs.

David Njoku caught 4 of them.  Over 36% of the starting QB's TDs and he did that as a rookie.

Mayfield had one of the highest red-zone TD conversion rates coming out of college. I can't recall the exact number but it was very impressive. 

Baker knows how to get the ball up for a guy like Njoku who can box-out DBs and make contested catches down at the goal line.  Also, Njuko becomes focused down at the goal.  He becomes possessed if he sniffs the goal line.

I think 7 TDs is reasonable.

 
Bracie Smathers said:
I don't think he 'should' last till the late rounds.

Last year DeShone Kizer only threw 11 TDs.

David Njoku caught 4 of them.  Over 36% of the starting QB's TDs and he did that as a rookie.

Mayfield had one of the highest red-zone TD conversion rates coming out of college. I can't recall the exact number but it was very impressive. 

Baker knows how to get the ball up for a guy like Njoku who can box-out DBs and make contested catches down at the goal line.  Also, Njuko becomes focused down at the goal.  He becomes possessed if he sniffs the goal line.

I think 7 TDs is reasonable.
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What about catches and yards?

 
ponchsox said:
What about catches and yards?
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Impossible to answer with any accuracy IMHO.

I expect a QB change at some point.

Duke is in the picture as a pass catching RB.

Josh Gordon hasn't established his role yet.

Landry is going to be the go-to guy.

Not sure Seth DeValve makes the roster.

Young guys like Higgins and Antonio Callaway are going to get their share.

I honestly have no idea how it will be divvied up but Njuko will be a red-zone weapon.

 
I wouldn't consider Njoku a late round pick. He was one of the hotter names this summer.

Apparently everyone on the Browns is going to have a probowl season- Chubb is scoring 10 TDs. Gordon is going to have a career year. Landry is going to have 150 receptions. Njoku is going to be a redzone machine. Duke will do Duke. Callaway is going to smoke the competition and win rookie of the year. 

Jokes aside, I think Njoku is over-rated in general considering the surrounding talent and questions of how targets are distributed (we just don't know yet, so there is risk). I have Njoku on my subscriber contest team, but I have 2 other pretty damn good TEs to go along with him. So I do have faith, but I wouldn't draft him as my TE1. Love him in best ball

 
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invested in him as my starting TE in both my redraft leagues ($1 at auction and an 11th round selection in the other).

obviously his physical skills jump off the TV screen. I really liked that he was playing nearly every snap with the 1's in the pre-season. Of all of the low end/late round  TE1 candidates, he seems to have the best potential to possibly have a top 5 season. The ebron, brate, clay etc... those guys are what they are... whereas with Njoku, you hope that type of production is the floor with starters snaps... and you hope he can make the leap up the tier considering his skills.

 
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Bump for post Gordon era thoughts. 7 targets each week so far this year but very little production. Haven't watched the two games so not sure if he's dropping passes or what.

Interested in finding a replacement for Trey Bumton and Njoku's athleticism and opportunity as a top 2 or 3 target in this improved QB offense are intriguing. He was dropped yesterday in both my (10-team) redraft leagues.

 
LawFitz said:
Bump for post Gordon era thoughts. 7 targets each week so far this year but very little production. Haven't watched the two games so not sure if he's dropping passes or what.

Interested in finding a replacement for Trey Bumton and Njoku's athleticism and opportunity as a top 2 or 3 target in this improved QB offense are intriguing. He was dropped yesterday in both my (10-team) redraft leagues.
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I'm in the exact same situation, but mine is a 12 man league.  Njoku was dropped this week and my starter is Burton so I picked him up.  Talent isn't the kids' problem, sometimes it just takes longer for some guys to figure it out.  That being said I'm keeping him on a short leash, I'm not going to start him tomorrow but if he doesn't have a good game I'm dropping him next Tuesday.

 
David Njoku caught 2-of-2 targets for 36 yards in the Browns' Week 3 win over the Jets.

Both the targets and grabs were season lows, but the real story was Baker Mayfield's insertion under center. Mayfield's entrance into the starting lineup is going to solidify Njoku's floor while dramatically increasing his ceiling. Frustrated owners need to keep the faith. The Raiders are an appealing Week 4 matchup.

Sep 21 - 12:23 AM
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The volume decrease was disappointing but the improved efficiency with Mayfield gives me some hope.

Game 1: 3/7, 13 yds

Game 2: 4/7, 20 yds

Game 3: 2/2 36 yds

 
I still believe damnit. And there’s a bunch of hobos on the wire.

Not able to watch yesterday but Baker has to help. 

 
Went with Dissley because I want them to write letters bc they miss me. But still have me eye on Njoku for next week and beyond. Watched the game tonight and Baker is SO much better than Tuhrod.

 
David Njoku caught 5-of-7 targets for 52 yards in the Browns' Week 4 loss to the Raiders.

It could have been a bigger day if not for Njoku committing his third drop of the season in the second half. Nevertheless, Baker Mayfield has helped Njoku immensely after the high-upside tight end managed 33 scoreless yards on 12 targets from Tyrod Taylor in the first 2 1/2 games of the season. Since Mayfield took over the offense, Njoku has caught seven of the rookie quarterback's nine targets for 88 yards. Njoku will stay on the TE1 fringe when the Browns host the Ravens next.

Sep 30 - 9:20 PM
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ponchsox said:
With the score it was disappointing he didn’t haul in a TD.
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But there is now hope with Baker at QB.  Njoku is not going to be a top 3 or 5 TE but top 10 is possible.  That would be great for most of us since TE is awful this FF season. 

 
David Njoku - TE -  Browns

ESPN Cleveland expects David Njoku to see more targets this week.

Njoku had a season-high 11 targets last week. With Rashard Higgins sidelined, his pass-game role should continue to grow. Njoku has 111 yards in Baker Mayfield's two starts this year. He's a back-end TE1 for Week 6.

Source: ESPN Cleveland 

Oct 13 - 7:09 PM
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Njoku's biggest problem is inconsistency. He's in a nice situation now with Gordon leaving & some injuries to some other WRs, but I'm not sure he'll ever fully realize his potential. 

You can improve your catch percentage, but it's a tough road to hoe. Hands aren't something that can typically be improved dramatically.

Njoku has quite a bit of raw physical ability, but it's very questionable if he'll ever be a top FF TE, even with Mayfield slinging it to him (who is a virtual lock to eventually be a top FF QB, IMO).

 
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who is gonna sell after he goes off for at 80+ and at least 1 td?

 
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David Njoku caught 4-of-6 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Buccaneers.

Njoku has held without a catch in the first half on Sunday, dropping his lone target over the opening two quarters. In the second half, he got the Browns going right away, catching a 15-yard touchdown over Adarius Taylor to get the Browns within a score. Njoku has now established himself firmly as the number two option behind Jarvis Landry in the Cleveland offense. Since Baker Mayfield has taken over, Njoku has reeled in 22-of-35 targets for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Njoku draws another positive matchup in Week 8 against the Steelers.

Oct 21 - 6:12 PM
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David Njoku was held without a catch or target in Sunday's Week 8 loss to the Steelers.

Njoku technically was targeted once in the game as he drew a pass interference in the end zone, but it was the lone pass that came his way on the afternoon. Prior to Sunday, Njoku was tied for second among all tight ends with 22 receptions over the previous four weeks, so Sunday's total disappearance was a surprise. Sunday was a reminder that the floor for any player in the Cleveland offense is subterranean. Despite his empty stat sheet Sunday, Njoku will still be a lower-TE1 option in Week 9 against the Chiefs who have allowed a tight end to score in each of the past two weeks.

Oct 28 - 5:18 PM
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Put him in as my "safe" option because I wasn't sure Gronk would play or get enough snaps and didn't want Belichick to play some funny games and screw me. Njoku is the one who screwed me! Luckily it shouldn't matter.

 
ETA: ^^^

And that's what the fantasy gods bestow upon you when you play a Brown vs. your home team (worse on the road). 

I have a love/hate relationship with my 1st rounder AB...

CLE's O is a hot mess with Baker figuring things out.  Chubb is about the only player I'd want (and have).

 
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So, going into the bye, is this guy even worth rostering?

Personally, I have both him and Gronk (due to Gronk's injuries) and intend to drop Njoku for whatever the best fill-in TE is for week 11 & never look back. 

Great potential, but simply isn't worth the headache IMO

 
4th&inches said:
So, going into the bye, is this guy even worth rostering?

Personally, I have both him and Gronk (due to Gronk's injuries) and intend to drop Njoku for whatever the best fill-in TE is for week 11 & never look back. 

Great potential, but simply isn't worth the headache IMO
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With the change in OC, it looks like Njoku isn't going to be targeted much.  The sample size is small and there are not many other TE options in FF but if you think you can find a better option, I would go for it. 

 
David Njoku caught 3-of-5 targets for 30 yards in Cleveland's Week 15 win over the Browns.

Njoku continued manning all passing downs at the tight end position Saturday night, but again had only 30 yards to show for it. He's now averaged 3.1/34.5 in six games under OC Freddie Kitchens. He'll stay a low-end usage-based TE1 against the Bengals in Week 16 despite the fact that a dud is certainly in his range of outcomes.

Dec 16 - 12:56 AM
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 Per Pro Football Reference, Njoku is one of only seven tight ends in the last 25 years to post over 630 receiving yards at age 22. The other members of that cohort are Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Aaron Hernandez, Jeremy Shockey, Todd Heap, and Jermichael Finley -- all former fantasy standouts at the position.

 
The Man With No Name said:
 Per Pro Football Reference, Njoku is one of only seven tight ends in the last 25 years to post over 630 receiving yards at age 22. The other members of that cohort are Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Aaron Hernandez, Jeremy Shockey, Todd Heap, and Jermichael Finley -- all former fantasy standouts at the position.
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Is this a meaningful stat, or just a number that tells us passing games are on the rise? I mean, for comparisons sake at age 22:

Gronk set the record for receiving yardage in 2011, while Hernandez finished 4th that year with 910 yards.

Witten was 2nd in receiving behind only Tony Gonzalez in 2004.

Shockey and Heap finished 1-2 in 2002.

Finley was 10th at the position in 2009.

Njoku was 8th last year, only 3 yards ahead of broken down Jimmy Graham. 

 
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The Man With No Name said:
 Per Pro Football Reference, Njoku is one of only seven tight ends in the last 25 years to post over 630 receiving yards at age 22. The other members of that cohort are Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Aaron Hernandez, Jeremy Shockey, Todd Heap, and Jermichael Finley -- all former fantasy standouts at the position.
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travdogg said:
Is this a meaningful stat, or just a number that tells us passing games are on the rise?
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Most rookie TEs blossom in their 2nd year.

I thought Njoku would bust out last year but he had changes at, HC, OC, and QB.  That many changes could have pushed back a potential breakout.  I don't think that many changes helped his development.

The stat is promising IMHO.  He came in very young.  I think their is still room to grow, physically, as a person, and as a football player.  

He's not a good enough blocker to linked to Gronk, Whitten,  Shockey, Heap, any of the others.  

He is a legit red zone weapon and has ability to bust off long plays.  His hands are inconsistent but he gets enough looks to remain at his current level but I think he will improve since he's so young and had so many changes in his second year when most TEs make dramatic leaps in development.

 
Bracie Smathers said:
Most rookie TEs blossom in their 2nd year.

I thought Njoku would bust out last year but he had changes at, HC, OC, and QB.  That many changes could have pushed back a potential breakout.  I don't think that many changes helped his development.

The stat is promising IMHO.  He came in very young.  I think their is still room to grow, physically, as a person, and as a football player.  

He's not a good enough blocker to linked to Gronk, Whitten,  Shockey, Heap, any of the others.  

He is a legit red zone weapon and has ability to bust off long plays.  His hands are inconsistent but he gets enough looks to remain at his current level but I think he will improve since he's so young and had so many changes in his second year when most TEs make dramatic leaps in development.
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He is also only 22 years old. He might still need another year or 2 to fully develop. 

 
Nice!  Just acquired him in the following trade.  My Wilson, Miller, Kittle for his Watson, Drake, Njoku.  Gives me the Watson/Nuk stack and upgrades me at two needed positions for the cost of the "downgrade" from Kittle to Njoku.  Basically, it was a buyers remorse trade....I normally don't take TE early and now it's like I didn't.

 
SCT said:
the cost of the "downgrade" from Kittle to Njoku.
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Not sure why you put downgrade in quotes above. There’s a massive drop from the top 3 TEs to everyone else at the position. Personally, I don’t see a ton of difference between TE4 and TE12, they’re all fungible and you’re just praying for a TD to make them relevant on a weekly basis. 

 
tangfoot said:
Not sure why you put downgrade in quotes above. There’s a massive drop from the top 3 TEs to everyone else at the position. Personally, I don’t see a ton of difference between TE4 and TE12, they’re all fungible and you’re just praying for a TD to make them relevant on a weekly basis. 
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Because I’m not sold on Kittle.  Hence the regret. I think he is at his highest value right now.   I do realize it’s a downgrade though but you gotta give something to get and I’m happy with the move. 

 
Baker Mayfield fired up about Browns TE David Njoku

...Njoku has always looked liked Superman. Mayfield senses a chance that will come across, consistently, on Sundays.

“The sky is the limit for him,” said Mayfield, whose first touchdown pass in his first preseason game last August was to Njoku.

“David will improve as we continue to go and he continues to be coached. Just for him to be comfortable and hear the same thing over and over is important.

“Consistency is key for David. He hasn’t had a lot of coaching and hasn’t been playing that long.”

As recently as 2015, Njoku was an off-the-radar Hurricane, catching a modest 15 passes in his first season of action for the University of Miami. He took up football late in his high school career.

“You can see how athletic he is, how talented,” Mayfield said.
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Njoku is only 23 years old, he's on his third HC and OC, and third offensive system while he is still maturing physically and mentally as a person.

Typical rookie TEs take one year to get up to speed so it would not surprise me if Njoku takes a huge step forward this year.

Lots of people believe targets will decrease as things get funneled to OBJ but Odell is the one who is going to be facing bracketed coverage.  OBJ is going to open things up and Baker is going to hit the open target.  

The Browns are one of the offenses that should see an uptick in overall targets and  Njuko is already a red zone/GL scoring threat.  I see a huge step forward in his overall play, OBJ taking coverage to his side of the field, an improvement from Baker, and overall more targets being available in this offense.

Baker is right, he's got to show he is more comfortable and consistent and the sky is the limit for the 23 year old entering his third season which can easily be his breakout year.

---------------------

Its all  happening.     It's All Happening

---------------------

Nathan Zegura‏Verified account @NathanZegura

Time now for our exclusive 1 on 1 with @David_Njoku80 who had 3 Red Zone touchdowns in today’s camp

11:50 AM - 26 Jul 2019

 
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😞   Browns coaches get critical on David Njoku's progress

When asked after Monday’s practice where Njoku needed more work on his game, catching or blocking, Kitchens pulled no punches.

“I think David Njoku needs to get better in both of them. I don’t see a finished product there,” Kitchens said via Brownszone. “If David flexes out, he’s expected to catch the ball. When he’s in line, he’s expected to block. He’s a tight end, and he needs to get better in both of them.”

That’s as blunt about a player as a coach will ever be in a public press conference. It shows the level of frustration with the third-year pro with the ridiculously impressive athleticism but (thus far) underwhelming level of on-field accomplishment...
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