Getty Images New Browns TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart.
The Cleveland Browns swapped one tight end for another on Tuesday, with the team bringing on Nakia Griffin-Stewart and waiving Nick Guggemos.
Griffin-Stewart was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 and has seen a few different teams since. He spent time on the practice squads of the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. He was part of the Chiefs’ active roster for a pair of games last season.
Griffin-Stewart played collegiately at Pitt and Rutgers, where he was not much of a threat in the passing game. He caught 32 passes for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his college career. But at 6-foot-5, 252 pounds, Griffin-Stewart should be able to do some damage as a blocker, providing a big body along the line of scrimmage.
The Brown said goodbye to Guggemos, who originally joined the Browns as a member of the team’s practice squad in 2021. He had inked a reserve/futures deal with the club following the season.
QB Felix Harper Sends Message After Release
The Browns made a roster move earlier in the week prior to the start of OTAs, deciding to move on from quarterback Felix Harper just a week after signing him.
Harper, who had a tryout at the Browns’ rookie minicamp and impressed the team enough to stay on, played at Alcorn State, leading the team to a 6-2 SWAC record in 2021. He completed 191 passes for 2,489 yards and 20 passing touchdowns.
Harper put out a message shortly after his release, thanking the Browns and saying that he would continue to look for opportunities.
“I’m not giving up. I’m thankful for the invitation to compete at the Cleveland Browns’ Rookie camp and to earn the opportunity to be signed, albeit for a short time,” Harper wrote. “Being released without the opportunity to further complete does hurt, but I cannot let it deter me. I won’t give up on my dream of playing professional football and showing that an HBCU quarterback can deliver at the best level. I look forward to other opportunities to compete and play professional football. I trust God and know he has a plan for me. I want to again thank the Browns organization for the opportunity to complete and wish them great success.”
Browns Eyeing Long-Term Deal for TE David Njoku
The Browns could still make another solid splash with a tight end deal, with David Njoku and Cleveland in talks for an extension.
“I honestly want to be here for the rest of my career, so my agent and the Browns are still in talks, we’re still negotiating, figuring out what we can do, and we’ll go from there,” Njoku said during his exit interview on January 10.
Last season Njoku played out his fifth-year option with the Browns, finishing with the third-most receiving yards among Browns players, with 475 yards on 36 receptions — a solid 13.2 average. The Browns hit him with the franchise tag this offseason that will pay him just over $10 million per season.
The Browns have offered Njoku a long-term deal that would pay around $13 million per year, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.