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A new report from free agency signings says that the Cleveland Browns have “significant interest” in former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham.
The Brown Are ‘Expected to Have Significant Interest’ in Donald Parham
Source: #Browns are expected to have significant interest in former Chargers TE Donald Parham.
A potential red zone target for QB Deshaun Watson, Parham has 479 career receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
According to ESPN Cleveland reporter Brad Stainbrook, the Browns are “expected to have significant interest in former Chargers TE Donald Parham.”
Stainbrook goes on to say that Parham is “a potential red zone target for QB Deshaun Watson.” Parham’s stats over three seasons in the NFL are 479 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, though he only played in six games in 2022 due to some hamstring issues early on in the season.
Parham returned to action in the week five game, which happened to be a win over the Browns, and played in that one and the week six Monday Night Football game before sitting out two months and returning in the week 15 game against the Tennessee Titans. In the week six game, Parham suffered a concussion and was sidelined, then he reaggravated his hamstring in practice, according to Sports Illustrated. Parham returned for the Chargers’ final five games of the season, including the wild card round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Cleveland Browns Fans Are Excited At Parham’s Potential
On Twitter, the Browns fans think Parham could be a solid addition to the offense.
“Great red zone threat,” wrote one fan.
Another added, “I love this TE draft class and was hoping for one of them, but I won’t snub my nose on this.”
“I like it. Watched him in the XFL & kept an eye on him on the Chargers. If he stays healthy that’s the perfect redzone target,” wrote a third fan.
One fan thinks the team has other more pressing needs, but he still likes the signing if it happens, writing, “I would love this personally but today would be a great day to sign a safety and an actual wide receiver!”
Another fan calls Parham “the perfect TE2.”
Indeed, the Browns already have their TE1 in David Njoku, who has amassed 19 touchdowns and nearly 2400 receiving yards in his six seasons with the Browns.
But some fans are wondering if the Browns need another tight end. The current TE2 is Harrison Bryant and his numbers over three seasons are actually better than Parham’s — 7 touchdowns, which is the same, but over 700 yards, which eclipses Parham’s 479 by quite a bit, though of course, Parham was out for two-thirds of the 2022 season.
Speed-wise, they’re similar as well, with identical 40-yard dash times and similar speed scores on Player Profiler. However, the one area where Parham stands out is that he is a massive tight end at 6’8″, making him tied for the tallest tight end in the league, according to Sports Scientist Ryan Horton. And on Player Profiler, Parham’s arm length is listed at nearly five inches longer than Bryant’s, which gives him a significant advantage over defenders.
If the Browns parted ways with Bryant to sign Parham, it would save them a little money, according to Over the Cap. But the Browns could also keep both tight ends to back up Njoku. They had a lot of success in 2022 with using a three tight end set to bolster their running game behind star RB Nick Chubb.
In 2022, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told Patriots.com that the Browns are using three tight ends “more than anybody in the league” and that gives opponents “a lot of things for the defense to worry about.”
“[The Browns] use three tight ends more than anybody in the league. They use the jumbo lineman more than anybody in the league. They use two tight ends a lot. Again, multiple formations, multiple shifts, and a lot of stuff before the snap. Then the ball is snapped you better be ready to go because they’re coming after you, and they’ve got a great back, so there’s no rest for the weary there,” said Belichick.
He continued, “It’s one tight end, two tight ends, three tight ends, two tight ends, and a jumbo lineman. There are multiple formations where they put them all on one side and balance them off. Put them all on the other side and shift them from one side to the other side. Shift from balanced to overloaded. Unbalanced line, shift unbalanced line, you name it. There are a lot of things for the defense to worry about.”
Njoku, Bryant and Parham would be quite the formimdable three tight end set for the Browns.