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Browns linked to intriguing tight end to replace David Njoku
The Cleveland Browns will need a new tight end.
The Browns have Harold Fannin Jr. as their starting tight end, but David Njoku announced he will be signing elsewhere. With that, Cleveland could look to add another tight end to back up Fannin and add some insurance at the position.
NFL analyst Brandon Little of A to Z Sports links the Browns to signing Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar to replace Njoku.
“Baltimore Ravens TE Charlie Kolar is set to be a free agent and couldn’t make more sense for the Browns,” Little wrote. “Kolar was used as part of Monken’s offense in Baltimore for the past three seasons. He’s a blocker first and would fit the bill for any two-tight-end sets the Browns want to run. …
“Kolar has been the third tight end to Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in Baltimore, but could be the No. 2 in Cleveland. A 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end, Kolar fits the mold of another big body up front. … Kolar has to make it out of Baltimore first, but if he does and is available on March 9, Cleveland should be in on him. Monken could go with some familiarity for his next Y tight end.”
Kolar would be a good part of the run game for the Browns, as his blocking skills are solid. But, perhaps as the No. 2 tight end, he can add more offense, as last season, he had just 10 receptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.
And, with Andrews and Likely still in Baltimore, Kolar could very well leave in free agency for a bigger role, which the Browns can offer him.
David Njoku Will Play Elsewhere in 2026
The Browns selected Njoku in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he’s been a key part of their offense.
Yet, with Njoku as a pending free agent, he took to Instagram to announce he’d be signing elsewhere.
“Cleveland, first off I love you. These 9 years have been a beautiful journey. I’m am so grateful for all the memories we shared together. Thank you to The Haslams, Andrew Berry and the whole browns organization for everything!!” Njoku wrote on Instagram.
“All my teammates I shared the battle with I’m so grateful for you guys. The time for me to find a new home has come and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The city of Cleveland will forever be home.”
Njoku recorded 33 receptions for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns last season with the Browns.
Todd Monken Wants to Rebuild Browns’ Offense
The Browns hired Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to be their new head coach.
Monken is an offensive-mind and he believes the Browns need to score more points than they have been.
“Well, that’s a question I get asked all the time, like what system do you run? What is that? And the way I’ll try to phrase it is to score any way possible. I don’t care what it takes to score. It’s about scoring points. I would hate to put some sort of…any type of connotation as to what system that we are, other than playing to our players’ strengths.
“I think one of the things that our staff, including myself, have been able to do is take advantage of what a player can do and not what they can’t do. Every player in the NFL is elite. And they all have a trait, at least one trait that allows them to, I don’t want to say this – allows them to function, play at a high level. You just got to find what that is and not try to put a square peg in a round hole, taking advantage of what they do. And I think that’s what we’ve been able to do consistently.”
Cleveland could look to add more weapons and a new quarterback this offseason.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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