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The Cleveland Browns were hit hard in the injury department in Week 1, including an ankle injury to David Njoku. The Browns, who struggled offensively in their Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, could be without one of their top targets for a couple of weeks after walking out in a right walking boot.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns signed tight end Geoff Swaim to the practice squad amid the injury to Njoku.
However, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox would like to see a reunion with former tight end Harrison Bryant, who’s currently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. Knox listed him as one of 15 players on his “NFL trade block big board entering Week 2.”
“It would be premature to suggest the Raiders cannot contend in 2024. However, their 22-10 loss to the rival Chargers in Week 1 certainly was not encouraging,” Knox wrote on September 11. “On a positive note, rookie tight end Brock Bowers (six catches, 58 yards) looked and played like an NFL star in the making. It’s already clear that Bowers will be featured heavily in Luke Getsy’s offense, and Las Vegas has a strong No. 2 tight end in Michael Mayer.
“With Harrison Bryant also on the roster, Las Vegas has a surplus of receiving tight ends. Bryant, who had 791 yards and 10 touchdowns in four seasons with Cleveland, should draw some interest if offered on the trade market. A reunion in Cleveland would actually make a ton of sense in the wake of David Njoku’s Week 1 injury.”
Bryant was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. In his four seasons with the team, he posted 791 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Njoku Injury Update
The updates on Njoku’s injuries weren’t initially promising, as Cabot reported on September 9 that “he’s expected to miss at least a couple of games.”
However, on September 11, the Browns placed four players on injury reserve, which didn’t include Njoku. Juan Thornhill, Maurice Hurst, Mohamoud Diabete, and Tony Fields will miss the next four games.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic tweeted that without a designation for Njoku, the Cleveland Browns “probably” expect him to miss less than four games.
“It a calf injury again for Thornhill, which is the most notable (and newest) news here. Also notable: No designation for Njoku, which probably means the team expects him to miss fewer than four games,” Jackson posted on September 11.
The Browns could use Njoku in their Week 2 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but if he returns in two or three weeks, it looks to be a positive after the initial concern.
How Bryant Could Still Help the Browns
Despite the positive news of Njoku not being placed on the IR, Bryant showed during his time with the Cleveland Browns to be a serviceable option. Even if he played for two weeks as the starter while Njoku gets healthy, that could greatly help the Browns.
Every game matters for them in a loaded AFC North that could be determined by just one game.
When Njoku returns, the need for Brant won’t be as significant, but he’s an above-average backup who can play in snaps when Njoku’s off the field.
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