Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has been out since Week 2 of this season due to an injury and a return appears to be imminent.
It goes without saying that the Cleveland Browns offense has missed David Njoku. While he is not going to fill the stat sheet, his presence makes things easier for those around him. A return could elevate the Browns offense and bring more consistency to the unit as a whole.
David Njoku broke his wrist back in Week 2 against the Jets. Since then a collection of tight ends have filled in to the best of their ability. While Demetrius Harris, Pharaoh Brown, Ricky Seals-Jones and Stephen Carlson have done well, they are nowhere near the talent of David Njoku. These four have combined for 22 catches, 282 yards and five touchdowns. Before his injury, Njoku had four receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown.
It is not a secret that the Browns offense performs better with less than three wide receivers on the field.
Warren Sharp also tweeted back at the end of October the overuse of 11 personnel.
In Cleveland’s loss to Denver they strayed away from what has worked and it without a doubt cost them the game.
The offense is clearly better when working from 12 and 21 personnel. There is more than enough data to go off of when it comes to making offensive adjustments. The Browns will definitely deploy the combination of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, it will all come down to how they add Njoku into the equation.
It will be wise for the Browns to use David Njoku in addition to the other tight ends on the roster to get the most out of their offense. While Njoku is not the best blocker, the threat of him in the passing game will be taken a bit more seriously than the tight ends that have been deployed since his injury.
