Dawgs By Nature
If the 2025 NFL season turns sour, TE David Njoku could be on the trading block, according to Pro Football Network.
The Cleveland Browns are again facing uncertain times heading into the 2025 season.
While the aging defense received some nice additions in defensive tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger from the 2025 NFL Draft, there are still questions at safety and how well the defensive line outside Myles Garrett and Graham will hold up.
General manager Andrew Berry focused the team’s draft strategy heavily on offense, with an appealing one-two punch in running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, even if those selections further signal that Nick Chubb’s time in Cleveland may be drawing to a close.
Harold Fannin Jr. is intriguing as a tight end prospect, especially given that he won’t turn 21 until July, meaning there may be a large amount of production waiting to be unlocked as he matures.
It is similar to the situation the Browns undertook in 2017 when they selected tight end David Njoku in the first round of that year’s draft. Njoku was also just 20 when he was drafted and has been a solid, if not spectacular, presence in Cleveland’s offense for the past eight seasons.
Njoku and the Browns agreed to a restructured contract in 2023, and the Browns can void the deal after this season, although that would leave the Browns with $24.3 million in dead cap money for 2026, according to Over the Cap.
The combination of Fannin, the ongoing question over the quarterback position, and Njoku eyeing his next contract could make him a player to watch if the Browns decide to turn a veteran into some additional draft capital via a trade, according to Pro Football Network:
It’s a total mystery who will play quarterback for the Cleveland Browns for the majority of the 2025 season. What doesn’t feel like a mystery is who the quarterback’s top two targets will be. Jerry Jeudy broke out last year when Jameis Winston gave the Browns a brief stint of exciting quarterback play, while David Njoku has been a fixture in the offense since being a first-round pick in 2017.
However, Njoku is nearing the end of his second contract, with 2025 being the last year of his deal. Cleveland potentially implemented a succession plan during the draft, using a third-round pick on Harold Fannin Jr. The Bowling Green tight end will need to adjust to a massive jump in competition, but the 2024 FBS leader in receiving yards could be a passing game weapon right away.
For a rebuilding Browns team, that may make Njoku a valuable trade commodity. Despite entering his ninth season, Njoku will still be 29 years old for all of next season. A team could reasonably want to trade and extend him, giving the Browns a chance to add even more draft capital as they seek to potentially make a move to the top of the 2026 draft...
