Browns Franchise David Njoku

     I've been a bit busy and fell a bit behind but before NFL free agency starts next week, I wanted to write a little about the decision by the Cleveland Browns to use the franchise tag on tight end David Njoku before the deadline arrived to do so.

The twenty-five-year-old Njoku is a very rare product in the NFL these days- a player with five years in the league that still has plenty of room for improvement.

The 6'4, 248 pound Njoku was one of Cleveland's first-round selections in the 2017 draft, and while on the stat sheet, Njoku's best season was 2018 (56 catches, 639 yards, 4 touchdowns), it was last season that Njoku seemed to be moving closer to fulfilling his potential.

Njoku began to not only make the spectacular catch, but he also began to catch the easier ball as well and that had often been the bugaboo in the former Miami Hurricane's game.

Njoku's game against the Chargers showed that he is capable of when he caught each of the seven passes thrown his way and finished with 149 yards and a touchdown of seventy-one yards.

However, it was the only game all season that the Browns would target Njoku more than five times and on the surface in a tight end heavy offense it isn't unreasonable to wonder why Njoku wasn't targeted more often.

However, when you consider the money being paid to Austin Hooper as the more reliable target it's understandable why Njoku wasn't targeted as often, and with Njoku's talent and athletic ability, I'm not sure the Browns would have been able to retain Njoku had he hit free agency with many suitors interested.

Njoku's tag will cost the Browns 10.9 million dollars for the 2022 season before Njoku is eligible to return to free agency next season and the Browns are still attempting to work out a long-term extension with Njoku.

Still, I would imagine that the Browns are still trying to decide about the future of Austin Hooper as I'd think the plan is for Njoku to get on the field more and be used as the top tight end, and even with the franchise tag activated, Njoku is still going to make 2.3 million dollars less than Hooper will next season.

Hooper catches what's thrown to him generally, but he might be the first player to ever have a Yards After Catch number in the minus column (that's sarcasm, folks) with his tendency to fall down immediately after the catch and he's been a disappointment for the amount of money that he's being paid.

I could see the Browns keeping Hooper and despite the overpay, living with the contract as a solid and unspectacular player but I could also see the Browns deciding to save the cap space and despite taking an eventual hit for the contract down the road and giving Hooper his release.

I would be fine either way really but if the Browns could use the space to address other needs I think that Harrison Bryant could move up to the second tight end slot pretty easily.

Bryant's receiving skills could even add a dimension to the offense that could use it but Bryant (and Njoku as well) isn't nearly the blocker as Hooper, so I would guess the Browns would be likely to sign an inexpensive veteran blocking tight end in that scenario.

The Browns rarely use the franchise tag but I'm okay with this.

David Njoku is still a player that can get better which makes him another rarity in free agency- a player that you sign or retain that a team would be paying for future production rather than for past production.

I will be back later with a possible catchup of the Cavaliers week (although I may wait until tomorrow since they play the Miami Heat tonight) and the boxing challenge.