3 Cleveland Browns who will benefit from offseason changes

1. David Njoku, TE

A move that got a lot of attention this offseason was when the Browns decided to not only franchise tag David Njoku, but they also wound up giving him a massive extension. Njoku was signed to a four-year, $56.75 million contract and there was some criticism that followed.

While no one was downplaying his talent, there were concerns since the 2017 first-round pick has yet to really put it all together. He’s getting paid elite money despite having just 688 yards and six touchdowns the past two seasons combined.

Of course, a huge reason for his numbers being so modest was the presence of Austin Hooper. The team’s prized free-agent addition from the 2020 offseason was the top tight end over Njoku and took many targets from him. That won’t be an issue going forward since Hooper was released and is now playing for the Tennessee Titans.

Cleveland is banking on Njoku’s production increasing by giving him the targets Hooper was getting. Sure, the payment is based on projections but the truth remains that Njoku worked hard to become a better blocker and was arguably the best receiver on the team in 2021.

He not only put to rest the “bad blocker” complaints but he also improved his catch rate as he had just two drops the entire year.

So with the change at quarterback, the release of Hooper, and the ability of Amari Cooper to draw attention, there might be no player set to improve more than Njoku in 2022.