Browns Sign TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Waive TE Nick Guggemos
The Cleveland Browns made a move on Tuesday, opting to sign free agent tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart and waiving another tight end in Nick Guggemos.
Griffin-Stewart is listed at 6'5" 252lbs and has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, appearing in a pair of games in 2021. He's 25 years old and is entering his third season. He finished his collegiate career at the University of Pittsburgh after playing three seasons at Rutgers, signing as an undrafted Minnesota Vikings after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Largely a blocking tight end, Griffin-Stewart's best season in college was playing for the Panthers, registering 19 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown.
A year younger, Griffin-Stewart is a completely different style from Guggemos, who is listed at 231 pounds. Guggemos spent time on the team's practice squad in 2021 and was signed on a reserves/futures contract after the season.
Griffin-Stewart was a reserves/futures signing for the Chiefs, but they ultimately made the decision to let him go, allowing the Browns to sign him. He joins a Browns roster with five other tight ends including David Njoku, Harrison Bryant, Miller Forristall, Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Marcos Santos-Silva.
Mitchell-Paden, Santos-Silva and Griffin-Stewart, addition to all having hyphenated names, were added in the past month. All three are also at least 6'5" and over 250lbs. Whether a coincidence or something they are aiming to find remains to be seen, but the Browns have made a lot of end of the roster moves since the release of Austin Hooper.
