Panthers Trading for Browns TE David Njoku Makes Sense
The Cleveland Browns have been placed in a tough position as former first round draft pick tight end David Njoku has requested the team for a trade, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Earlier this offseason, the Carolina Panthers made the difficult decision to part ways with veteran tight end Greg Olsen. He had not only become a fan favorite in Charlotte, but during his time in the Queen City he became one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Since his release, the Panthers have yet to make a "splash" at the position in order to fill Olsen's void. They originally signed former Jaguars tight end Seth DeValve, but released him not too long after due to a non-football injury. Let's face it, DeValve was never going to be the answer for the Panthers anyways. The team also waived Marcus Baugh, who hadn't played in a regular season setting with the team.
Currently, the Panthers have Ian Thomas, Chris Manhertz, and Temarrick Hemingway on the roster. While Ian Thomas has the ability to be reliable starting tight end, that may be just about his ceiling. He doesn't have the star factor in him, at least from what we've seen thus far. Manhertz and Hemingway will provide depth at the position, but each of those guys are replaceable and wouldn't be a huge loss to the team.
So, given the Panthers tight end situation and David Njoku requesting for a trade, does it make sense for the Panthers to pursue him? Yes, without a doubt.
Carolina already has D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, Robby Anderson, and Christian McCaffrey in their offensive attack. Adding a receiving, playmaking tight end like Njoku could be the piece that puts this offense over the top. What is even more appealing is that Njoku still has two years left on his current deal. He is slated to make $1.7M in 2020 and $6.1M in 2021. Having a talented young tight end under control for two years at those base salaries is basically a bargain.
There is no reason to believe that a trade for Njoku wouldn't help the Panthers kickstart their rebuild furthermore.
Do you think the Panthers should pursue David Njoku? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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