Cleveland Browns Rumors: David Njoku wanted out a year ago

It’s becoming clear why David Njoku sat on the bench for a lot of last year with the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns have known for nearly a year that David Njkou wanted out of Cleveland, this according to Jeremy Fowler. This may tie into the issues that Njoku had in his third season with the club, where he and then head coach Freddie Kitchens butted heads for unknown reasons. While many will blame Kitchens for the frosty relationship, many in the media point to Njoku as the problem, with 92.3’s Dustin Fox pointing out the team should move on from him in order to change the team’s culture.

Njoku has apparently been dissatisfied or a while, making it all too clear that the Browns did in fact look to replace him this offseason. Which explains why the Browns both signed a Pro Bowl tight end in Austin Hooper and drafted Harrison Bryant in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. Actions speak louder than words, and it’s clear the Browns knew they needed to upgrade the tight end position

Njoku’s trade demand and desire to leave the team dating back to the summer of 2019 also explains why the Browns picked up his fifth-year options of $6 million. It makes him a more valuable trade piece to have an extra year on his deal. While Njoku hasn’t shown much in the way of being a dominant pass catcher, even when he was the second option on the team, he still hasn’t had so much exposure that teams won’t give him a shot. It’d be different if he had played his entire rookie and third year in the league, as opposed to only parts of them.

So what’s Njoku worth? Early rumors have Njoku trending at a fourth or fifth-round pick depending on who you ask. It might be possible to recoup a fifth-round draft pick on his own, but maybe if you pair Njoku with a second or third-rounder, you might be able to get an upgrade at a position instead of just a mid-round draft pick.