What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

TE David Njoku, CLE (2 Viewers)

David Njoku caught all seven of his targets for 149 yards and one touchdown in the Browns' Week 5 loss to the Chargers.

The fifth-year tight end entered Week 5 with seven catches for 111 scoreless yards on the season, so this one came out of nowhere. But it was nice to see Njoku get chances to showcase his elite athletic profile for a tight end. His big play was a virtually untouched 71-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The Browns would be wise to get Njoku more playing time and targets in a passing offense desperate for playmaking help. Njoku will be tough to trust as a fantasy starter next week against the Cardinals, but maybe this performance gets him more snaps and targets.

Oct 10, 2021, 7:54 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
David Njoku ran a season-high 24 pass routes in the Browns' Week 10 loss to the Patriots. 

A week after Odell Beckham departed for LA, Njoku ran a route on 63.2 percent of the Browns' drop backs in their lopsided loss to New England. His usage was solid, but the results were less inspiring: Njoku had one catch on four targets for 11 yards against the Pats. Austin Hooper, meanwhile, led Cleveland tight ends with four catches on five targets for 25 yards and a touchdown. Harrison Bryant caught both of his targets for 18 yards while running the fewest routes of the three Browns tight ends. With more consistent usage in the Browns offense, Njoku could be usable in deeper formats going forward. 

RELATED: 

Austin Hooper

, Harrison Bryant

Nov 16, 2021, 9:33 AM ET
Click to expand...

 
Browns placed TE David Njoku on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Njoku's absence would be a slight bump for Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant against a Baltimore defense allowing a league-high target share to tight ends. Cleveland tight ends combined for six receptions on 11 targets in the team's Week 12 loss to the Ravens. Hooper would have some streaming appeal if Njoku is out. 

RELATED: 

Austin Hooper

, Harrison Bryant

SOURCE: Kimberly Martin on Twitter 

Dec 7, 2021, 12:59 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
Browns TE David Njoku (reserve/COVID-19) has been ruled out for Week 14 against the Ravens.

This was expected with Njoku going on the COVID list earlier this week. With Harrison Bryant (ankle) also out, it puts Austin Hooper in line for an everydown role against a Ravens defense that allowed a combined 85 yards to Browns' tight ends in Week 12. Undrafted rookie Miller Forristall will back up Hooper.

Dec 11, 2021, 10:06 AM ET
Click to expand...

 
Browns activated David Njoku from the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Njoku could wander into exactly the sort of smash fantasy football spot that Austin Hooper did last week, with Harrison Bryant (ankle) picking up limited practice on Wednesday, plus Hooper and Jarvis Landry on the COVID-19 list. Case Keenum is going to have to throw the ball to someone, right? Njoku was practicing today and should be ready for Week 15 barring a setback. 

SOURCE: Nate Ulrich on Twitter

Dec 16, 2021, 1:18 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
With him activated off covid list, I think i'm going to roll him out there over Hunter Henry, now that Waller is ruled out. 

 
Timmay said:
With him activated off covid list, I think i'm going to roll him out there over Hunter Henry, now that Waller is ruled out. 
Click to expand...


this seemed like a great plan 10 hours ago - I was going to roll with him over Freiermuth bc matchups

Nick Mullens, eh?

***abort***abort***abort***

 
yoman said:
And everybody knows Njoku is more talented than Kittle :rolleyes:

On a serious note that is interesting. I picked up Njoku in 1 league where I have Waller but I am a little scared since Mullens has probably not had a ton of recent reps. 
Click to expand...
I am in the same boat as you.  I just can't roll out Moreau again.

 
Gilroy34 said:
I am in the same boat as you.  I just can't roll out Moreau again.
Click to expand...
I rolled with Moreau the first week and Hooper last week so I thought Njoku would be a good pickup even with Keenum at QB.  Maybe Moreau will do well against a possibly depleted Browns D? I think some of the Raiders players may have given up on the season based on what I have seen from them the past few weeks. 

 
Gilroy34 said:
I am in the same boat as you.  I just can't roll out Moreau again.
Click to expand...


Same, I started Moreau the last 2 weeks, he thankfully/luckily didn't make me lose, but I will not roll him out there again. So i'm sure he will go off this week. Im rolling Njoku out there with confidence, in Nick Mullens I Trust!! 

 
Njoku normally runs around 16 routes per game. But with Hooper out I’m expecting 1) uptick in snaps, 2) more routes run than typical (& hopefully translates to more targets, and 3) higher value targets from the slot and outside - where Hooper is often deployed. Young & promising Njoku once had that role.

Despite his underwhelming career relative to his draft capital, dude is still athletic af. Raiders have been yielding boatloads of FF points to TEs this year.

 
yoman said:
And everybody knows Njoku is more talented than Kittle :rolleyes:

On a serious note that is interesting. I picked up Njoku in 1 league where I have Waller but I am a little scared since Mullens has probably not had a ton of recent reps. 
Click to expand...


Same boat with Waller...

there seems to be a lot of "interesting" options this week with Jordan from the Texans and Everett as possibilities as well.

 
tricky92 said:
Same boat with Waller...

there seems to be a lot of "interesting" options this week with Jordan from the Texans and Everett as possibilities as well.
Click to expand...
Right now I have Moreau starting in place of Waller.   Seems like the logical choice but I have little confidence.  

 
Another Waller owner here who's not going anywhere near Moreau again. Hooper was a great pick up last week. Hoping for something similar. 

 
I've got the opposite situation - my opponent has Waller and no backup yet. Someone else rostered Foster. 

Now I am picking up 2 more TEs to make sure they aren't available to him. I have Gronk and Pitts already, added Seals-Jones and Njoku. 

I think Njoku is a great option this week as last man standing - but now who knows if Hooper and others will end up being available and ruining his opportunity. 

 
David Njoku caught all four of his targets for 28 yards and one touchdown in the Browns' Week 17 loss to the Steelers.

Njoku did all of his damage in the second half, catching a three-yard touchdown on third down in the third quarter. It was the tight end's fourth touchdown grab of the year. He'll wrap up his contract year in the Week 18 finale against the Bengals

- NBC SportsEDGE
Click to expand...

 
Impending free agent TE David Njoku reiterated his desire to re-sign with the Browns.

"I love it here. I love it here to the core," Njoku said Monday. "I honestly want to be here for the rest of my career, so my agent and the Browns are still in talks, we're still negotiating, figuring out what we can do, and we'll go from there." Re-signing with Cleveland probably wouldn't be the best move for Njoku's career arc, but he's said a number of times over the last calendar year how much he wants to stay with the team that made him the 29th overall pick in 2017. Njoku peaked in 2018 with a 56-639-4 line on 88 targets. He has a combined 60 grabs for 729 yards and six scores in 33 games since. Njoku split reps with Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant this season. Hooper is probably a very regrettable signing by the Browns.

SOURCE: Akron Beacon Journal

Jan 10, 2022, 6:20 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports the Browns "are prepared to pay him [David Njoku] the double-digit millions he’ll get on the open market."

There have also been reports that the Browns could franchise tag Njoku. The well-documented buzz around him returning to Cleveland points toward the team parting ways with Austin Hooper. The Browns can save a few million dollars in 2022 by cutting him in the spring and that number jumps to $9.5 million if he is cut after June 1st. With Harrison Bryant also playing well on his limited reps behind Hooper, the Browns have no reason to hang onto the veteran tight end. All signs point to Njoku returning as the starter with Bryant playing an expanded role in his third season. 

RELATED: 

Harrison Bryant

, Austin Hooper

SOURCE: Cleveland.com

Feb 28, 2022, 4:10 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
Cleveland is back to doing Cleveland things...

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Browns used the franchise tag on David Njoku. 

Njoku won't escape Cleveland for a more fantasy-friendly environment. The little-used tight end will get around $16.5 million in 2022 with Cleveland applying its franchise tag to keep him on the roster. Njoku in 2021 ran a route on just half of the Browns' passing plays and was targeted on a meager 19 percent of his routes. Austin Hooper, meanwhile, was targeted on 22 percent of his routes in 2021. In his five years with the Browns, Njoku, 25, has two games in which he's seen more than seven targets. The Browns, who use two tight end sets as much as any team, will have more than $26 million tied up in Hooper and Njoku this season. Njoku probably won't be fantasy relevant outside deep leagues. 

 
Andy Dufresne said:
Cleveland is back to doing Cleveland things...

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Browns used the franchise tag on David Njoku. 

Njoku won't escape Cleveland for a more fantasy-friendly environment. The little-used tight end will get around $16.5 million in 2022 with Cleveland applying its franchise tag to keep him on the roster. Njoku in 2021 ran a route on just half of the Browns' passing plays and was targeted on a meager 19 percent of his routes. Austin Hooper, meanwhile, was targeted on 22 percent of his routes in 2021. In his five years with the Browns, Njoku, 25, has two games in which he's seen more than seven targets. The Browns, who use two tight end sets as much as any team, will have more than $26 million tied up in Hooper and Njoku this season. Njoku probably won't be fantasy relevant outside deep leagues. 
Click to expand...
Bizarre how some teams operate.

 
What a huge bummer.  Loaded up on Njoku shares for next to nothing hoping he would be a big FA signing for someone this off-season.  Gross.  

 
guess I just never thought I would see the words David Njoku and franchise tag in the same sentence....

 
The Browns are enamored of their guys' own unlocked potential. 

Uh, guys, what's that say about either your deployment or the talent around him? *cough Mayfield*  *coughMayfield*

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Andy Dufresne said:
Cleveland is back to doing Cleveland things...

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Browns used the franchise tag on David Njoku. 

Njoku won't escape Cleveland for a more fantasy-friendly environment. The little-used tight end will get around $16.5 million in 2022 with Cleveland applying its franchise tag to keep him on the roster. Njoku in 2021 ran a route on just half of the Browns' passing plays and was targeted on a meager 19 percent of his routes. Austin Hooper, meanwhile, was targeted on 22 percent of his routes in 2021. In his five years with the Browns, Njoku, 25, has two games in which he's seen more than seven targets. The Browns, who use two tight end sets as much as any team, will have more than $26 million tied up in Hooper and Njoku this season. Njoku probably won't be fantasy relevant outside deep leagues. 
Click to expand...
Better late than never but what the heck

 
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Browns are working on a contract extension for David Njoku. 

Cleveland may have used the franchise tag on Njoku as a placeholder until the sides can agree on a long-term deal for the uber-athletic 25-year-old tight end. Rapoport said there's "confidence" the deal can be done by the July 15 deadline. If he plays on the franchise tag in 2022, Njoku will make around $10.8 million. He's in line to take on a more full time role in the Cleveland offense after the team parted ways with Austin Hooper this offseason. Njoku has two games of seven or more targets in his five years with the Browns.  

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Apr 1, 2022, 9:28 AM ET
Click to expand...

 
The Browns and Njoku have one of the weirder relationships I've seen in the NFL. Over the past THREE years Njoku has put up ~700/7..... COMBINED. IMO it was kind of crazy that they were paying him $10mil this year. Now he jumps up to Kelce/Andrews type money?! Good for him but it seems like a head scratching contract since they don't really seem to feature him much in the offense.

People act like Hunter Henry was a huge mistake for the Patriots but he's an absolute bargain by comparison.

 
BoltBacker said:
The Browns and Njoku have one of the weirder relationships I've seen in the NFL. Over the past THREE years Njoku has put up ~700/7..... COMBINED. IMO it was kind of crazy that they were paying him $10mil this year. Now he jumps up to Kelce/Andrews type money?! Good for him but it seems like a head scratching contract since they don't really seem to feature him much in the offense.

People act like Hunter Henry was a huge mistake for the Patriots but he's an absolute bargain by comparison.
Click to expand...
They also signed Hooper to good money which at the time was not seen as an endorsement for Njoku…Henry was a solid signing for the Pats, he is a quality player…Jonnu is the big mistake…a ton of money for nothing so far.

 
BoltBacker said:
The Browns and Njoku have one of the weirder relationships I've seen in the NFL. Over the past THREE years Njoku has put up ~700/7..... COMBINED. IMO it was kind of crazy that they were paying him $10mil this year. Now he jumps up to Kelce/Andrews type money?! Good for him but it seems like a head scratching contract since they don't really seem to feature him much in the offense.

People act like Hunter Henry was a huge mistake for the Patriots but he's an absolute bargain by comparison.
Click to expand...
I don't get it either.  Njoku never excelled at any time.  Maybe (certainly!) the coaches know more than I do...

 
28 million guaranteed is crazy.  It may all work out and be a bargain but based on what we have seen so far it seems like a risky move. 

 
I'd defer to a very good Browns front office on this one. Off course, I'm a bit of a Njoku backer even though he's not on the team I spend the most time on. Maybe I'll change that. 

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ignatiusjreilly
Onesie (QB/TE) draft strategy, 2025
Replies
25
Views
1K
ignatiusjreilly
ignatiusjreilly
Terpman22
Tight End Addiction: Non TE Premium Dynos - Who is with me?
Replies
2
Views
332
EBF
EBF
T
Travdogg's positional rankings from week 10 onward
Replies
14
Views
2K
ponchsox
ponchsox

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top