David Njoku has been hitting the weight room this offseason — maybe a little too much, by the Cleveland Browns tight end’s own admission.
Njoku made a recent Instagram post where he said he weighed 270 pounds, which is almost 25 pounds than what he’s listed as on the Browns roster.
“Ima chill [with] them weights for a bit. Lmao,” Njoku captioned the post.
Njoku is a freak athlete, which is what made him a first-round pick back in 2017. Putting on a little muscle is no big concern and he will likely cut down to around his normal weight by the time camp rolls around.
Njoku is coming off his best season as a pro, despite missing a trio of games due to injury. He caught 58 passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns. It was an important year for Njoku, who was fresh off inking a four-year, $56.75 million extension with Cleveland to be their long-term option at the position.
“I just think he really wants to be really good. That was from the first conversations I had with him, he just wanted to be good, he wanted to be coached, he wants more opportunities and he wants to be on the field more,” Browns tight ends coach TC McCartney said last season. “All of those things have happened, and it has been good for him.”
Njoku Sees Great Things Ahead With Deshaun Watson
When Deshaun Watson was inserted into the lineup, he had solid chemistry with Njoku, showering the explosive tight end with targets. Njoku sees big things for their partnership, saying he could see them getting to the level of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
“First off, those two are legendary, you know what I mean?” Njoku said. “All the kudos to them, Patrick and Trav and, yeah, I feel like we can definitely do things similar to that as well. It’s only a matter of time, so I’m very excited.”
Watson is a different beast at quarterback thanks to his escapability and ability to make plays on the run. That makes his relationship with Njoku extra important when it comes to improvising.
“I feel like he’s very versatile. He can do almost everything, if not everything,” Njoku said. “I feel like when a play is normally dead with somebody else, I feel like he has the power to keep it going and potentially make a bigger play than we would’ve expected to happen. So, very happy he’s on our side.”
Browns Add to TE Arsenal With Jordan Akins
Njoku will have some new company in the tight end room, with the Browns signing former Texans tight end Jordan Akins. He wonʻt threaten Njoku atop the depth chart but will make a charge at taking on the TE2 role behind him.
Akins is a former teammate of Watson and has 151 catches for 1,755 yards and eight touchdowns over his five seasons in the NFL. He is coming off a career year that came despite the Texans’ unstable quarterback situation.
Akins caught 37 passes for 495 yards and five touchdowns last season and his nose for the end zone will be valued by Watson and Co.
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Browns TE David Njoku Shows Off Massive New Frame