The Cleveland Browns are excited to see what Jordan Akins can add to their offense but the big tight end’s training camp has been stalled by a knee injury.
Akins missed his fourth consecutive day of training camp practice on Tuesday with a knee injury, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. The severity of the injury is unknown, but it’s clear the Browns are playing it safe with their new acquisition.
“Resting his knee, but just rest,” Stefanski said on July 30.
Some time has passed since Stefanski made that statement and Akins is still on the sideline. It is just a handful of training camp practices but the Browns would likely want their new pass-catcher to get integrated into the offense as much as possible. Akins is expected to take over the TE2 role behind David Njoku and is a familiar, big target for Deshaun Watson. The two played together with the Houston Texans previously.
Akins has 151 catches for 1,755 yards and eight touchdowns in his career and is coming off his best year as a pro. Despite the Texans’ unstable quarterback situation, Akins caught 37 passes for 495 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Akins posted an overall grade of 72.4 with Pro Football Focus, excelling as a receiver (74.3) but also showing a decent ability to block (61.3).
Most of the Browns’ key players are not expected to see a ton of action for their preseason tilt against the New York Jets on Thursday. Bryant is also dealing with a minor issue, so Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Thomas Greaney will likely see the majority of reps against the Jets.
Browns TE Jordan Akins Bullish on Browns Offense After Reuniting With Deshaun Watson
Landing Akins as a free agent this offseason was a score for the Browns, who were looking to add more weapons to their arsenal. Akins was a great fit, not only because of his skill set, but also due to his chemistry with Watson.
“The relationship we have is a big help,” Akins said. “Deshaun knows me. I know Deshaun. Certain plays, when I’m coming across… sometimes I can just look at him, give him a certain look, and he can kind of signal some of the routes we have signals (from) Houston. He helps me out and I help him out through the air as far as making plays.”
Akins feels like the changes to his role with the Browns are beneficial and will help harness what he does best.
“I feel like it’s a great opportunity here, man. Like I said, being reunited with the Deshaun and being able to get a different route tree,” Akins said. “In Houston, I was kind of labeled as a catch-and-run tight end in the flat. But here I’m more down the field. I get to show off my athleticism, in and out of cuts and run it after the catch as well.”
Browns TE David Njoku in Position for Career Year
The Browns can create some nice mismatches with both Akins and David Njoku. The Browns signed Njoku to an extension last offseason and he is poised to take yet another leap this season. Njoku hauled in a career-high 58 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns last season.
“Do I feel like I have another level? Yes, I do,” Njoku said during training camp. “Every offseason you have a chip on your shoulder to be a better athlete or a better player than you were previously. I feel like this year, not just myself, but a bunch of the guys, especially on offense, I don’t really know much more about defense, but we really took it upon ourselves to figure it out. And have we figured it all out yet? No. Every day we’re trying to get better and better, but we’re working hard.”
The Browns may shift away from using multiple tight ends as often as they did in the past, but considering the pass-catching prowess of both Njoku and Akins, it appears that they’ll be firmly in the mix.
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New Browns Pass-Catcher’s Nagging Knee Injury Cause of Concern