Browns 2021 Off-Season Thread

[bob2the2nd]

Given how much Njoku improved as a blocker, I'd be happy to keep him. Dude also made some big catches for us and is a one of a kind athlete at the TE position who can high point the ball and make contested catches.

I know he asked for a trade last year, but perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to run guys like him out of town?

Njoku had a GREAT game against the chiefs. No doubt about it. It was also pretty much the only game of the year he showed up. He has great talent but the production is simply not there.

i shit you not, he had 24% (66 of 279 yards) of his 2020 season receiving yards in the playoffs. Of the 279 season receiving yards, 59 were against the chiefs.

Is there a place for him on this team absolutely, but not at 6 million.

Also yes i think he puts up pretty decent production on another team, however this is just not that team.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Njoku had a GREAT game against the chiefs. No doubt about it. It was also pretty much the only game of the year he showed up. He has great talent but the production is simply not there.

i shit you not, he had 24% (66 of 279 yards) of his 2020 season receiving yards in the playoffs. Of the 279 season receiving yards, 59 were against the chiefs.

Is there a place for him on this team absolutely, but not at 6 million.

Also yes i think he puts up pretty decent production on another team, however this is just not that team.

I totally see your point, but at the same time I see the dearth of talent at the NFL's TE position right now and it's tough for me to let a guy who looks like David Njoku go, especially when he pretty much answered the bell whenever called upon last year.

I think our TE position is always going to be hard-pressed to put up elite numbers given our scheme.

And I'd rather have Njoku at six million than Hooper at over twice that. It's not as if Hooper was much better last year. I don't think he played poorly, mind you. I just think you're not going to see a TE put up 1000 yards in this system. And that's doubly true if the team continues to be good and thus has a lot of positive game scripts.

 

[CBBI]

Njoku had a GREAT game against the chiefs. No doubt about it. It was also pretty much the only game of the year he showed up. He has great talent but the production is simply not there.

i shit you not, he had 24% (66 of 279 yards) of his 2020 season receiving yards in the playoffs. Of the 279 season receiving yards, 59 were against the chiefs.

Is there a place for him on this team absolutely, but not at 6 million.

Also yes i think he puts up pretty decent production on another team, however this is just not that team.

Contractually we're stuck one and not the other, but gun to my head I'd rather have Njoku than Hooper all things considered.

 

[FrontPageNews]

Can Rudolph block

 

[Smooth]

The Njoku debate simply comes down to the fact the player has stated he no long wishes to be a Brown, and the front office not likely committing the amount of money/playing time required to keep him here (if there even is one)... The relationship has simply run its course and I’m not sure there’s anything the Browns could realistically do to keep him for more than next year...

At this point, the idea of Rudolph is intriguing in the fact you have the ability to re-invest Njoku’s money/asset into another part of the team that needs it without taking a hit in 2021 in the TE room..

Njoku is not likely to be a Brown past 2021, so if they can redeem some value while getting an equal replacement, that’s certainly an attractive equation...

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

No. My point is that a lot of people give their opinions during the draft and tell anyone who disagrees with their conclusion that they don't know what they're talking about. That's common, and not directed at any one person. It would just be kind of nice if there was a bit of humility upfront, and an acknowledgement of the inexact nature of the entire process.

The most common reason for that is a kind of tunnel vision, where people somehow convince themselves that looking at some highlights and reading blurbs somehow makes them a quasi-expert. It doesn't. Even if you watch every snap of a player (although you still miss all of the practices....),there's a reason teams have larger scouting departments, and why even FO/scouting guys on the same team on a player can come to different conclusions despite having watched the exact same film.

Half the pissing contests on the board in general are between people who refuse to recognize that.

I agree with your sentiment.

I also just don't see this behavior, and think your last sentence is wrong.

Last year, was anyone shitting on others for takes on Thomas/Wirfs/Wills/Becton? Because I certainly didn't see it. My memory is hazy, but I think the closest thing I saw to this behavior was when some people complained about the trade with the Saints, trotting out a lazy groan about the Browns trading down, and got responded to with statements about the value of that deal on our end.

This past season, what was it, people talking about Baker? Nearly 100% of the "pissing contests" were either people dragging up old takes, people miscommunicating, or people being mad that someone would dare question if Baker's the guy or not. The next most contentious topic was... Joe Woods as our DC? Go back further, and it was people talking about how hiring Stefanski was ruining this organization because he didn't reject analytics? None of those fit your description.

But, I'm also not on top of everything. So what do you see that I'm missing?

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

The Njoku debate simply comes down to the fact the player has stated he no long wishes to be a Brown, and the front office not likely committing the amount of money/playing time required to keep him here (if there even is one)... The relationship has simply run its course and I’m not sure there’s anything the Browns could realistically do to keep him for more than next year...

At this point, the idea of Rudolph is intriguing in the fact you have the ability to re-invest Njoku’s money/asset into another part of the team that needs it without taking a hit in 2021 in the TE room..

Njoku is not likely to be a Brown past 2021, so if they can redeem some value while getting an equal replacement, that’s certainly an attractive equation...

It's a shame that we didn't gamble on Njoku last year, and signed Hooper instead.

We're going to lose the better player, and wasted financial assets we could use moving forward on the mashed-potato-mountain that is Austin Hooper.

I'm still okay with the front office deciding to give the coach what he requires to succeed. We'd be in much worse shape than we are right now if our offense failed in 2020 because we didn't have a reliable tight end.

 

[Smooth]

It's a shame that we didn't gamble on Njoku last year, and signed Hooper instead.

We're going to lose the better player, and wasted financial assets we could use moving forward on the mashed-potato-mountain that is Austin Hooper.

I'm still okay with the front office deciding to give the coach what he requires to succeed. We'd be in much worse shape than we are right now if our offense failed in 2020 because we didn't have a reliable tight end.

The key in the statement is “reliable”

I’d say the Browns bought reliability as much as they bought talent.. We always know the Browns have to overpay for players but they did so in this case based off of Hooper’s production and dependability...

While talented, there is too much variance from year to year or snap to snap with Njoku... He never was a developed blocker, had drop issues and has only played 17 games the last two years..

So while Njoku has greater talent and a higher potential long-term future, the Browns were buying stability and the chance for an even ground evaluation with Baker this year..

Hooper and Njoku graded out on a similar level this year and Hooper is only 2 years older than Njoku, so it’s not like the Browns are choosing a much older player either..

 

[TheLand1287]

No thanks

 

[NorthCoastBias]

*thinking emoji*

 

[Bkerr02]

Can Rudolph block

Rudolph knows the system probably better than anyone not names stefanski. He is an excellent blocker as well. I would try to trade Njoku for a pick and bring Rudolph in. Plus he would be cheaper than the 7 mill Njoku is owed

 

[AZ_]

 

[Ohio]

Andrew Berry:

 

[Randolphkeys]

For those of you interested in watching Stefanski dodge questions about Njoku:


Again, I'll go as far as agreeing Njoku separates from defensive backs more easily than Hooper ever will... but there's more to this than a 40 yard dash time.

 

[bob2the2nd]

For those of you interested in watching Stefanski dodge questions about Njoku:


Again, I'll go as far as agreeing Njoku separates from defensive backs more easily than Hooper ever will... but there's more to this than a 40 yard dash time.

like i pointed out yesterday.... production for example. Njoku was extremely unproductive last year.