Njoku was the final of the Browns three first-rounders in the 2017 draft and even after five seasons in Cleveland, Njoku is still only twenty-five years old.
Njoku caught thirty-six passes for four hundred and seventy-five yards and four touchdowns for the Browns in 2021, playing in sixteen of seventeen games.
I have to admit that I'm straddling the fence on this signing.
I love Njoku's talent and downfield ability, he does seem to be coming into his own as a player after some admittedly erratic season, and DeShaun Watson has been noted for using his tight ends often during his time in Houston.
However, I still wonder if Njoku has proven enough to be counted on as much as this contract will count on the former Miami Hurricane, and has he truly matured enough as a player that the spectacular catches remain and the routine catches become routine?
Njoku will be the fifth highest-paid tight end in the league and while this doesn't seem to make sense when you look at pure production, the Browns have leaned on the analytical notation of paying for projected future performance rather than past performance.
While that is sound reasoning, it also can be a far riskier gambit than relying on a player to repeat what they have placed on the stat sheet in the past.
My issue isn't with the payout as the contract is structured that should Njoku disappoint that the Browns could walk away from the deal after the 2023 season and should Njoku play to expectations, Cleveland's agreement with him could prove to be if not a bargain, certainly of excellent value.
In the end, this is all about projection as David Njoku isn't deserving of a contract of this size for what he has done on the field.
However, Njoku has shown just enough tantalizing glimpses of elite talent to make him at least worth considering a contract of this amount and I suppose Njoku couldn't be any worse than Austin Hooper for yards after the catch, so despite the risk, I can see why the Browns decided to make this commitment.
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