David Njoku Announces He's Off Injured Reserve Via Twitter
Coming off of a big win against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns might be getting some more good news with the return of tight end David Njoku from injured reserve according to his twitter account.
Njoku suffered a knee injury in the opening game against the Baltimore Ravens, which caused him to miss the next three games. He was one of the few bright spots in that game against the Ravens, catching three passes on three targets for 50 yards including a highlight catch, going up and high pointing a pass over a defender.
Harrison Bryant has been done an admirable job filling in the role of the second tight end in his absence. The rookie has caught seven passes on ten targets for 59 yards and the first touchdown of his career.
Njoku has an explosive athletic element that Bryant simply doesn't and if he can be consistent catching the ball, he becomes a valuable weapon in this offense. As both have shown, having Austin Hooper take the primary defense against tight ends leaves them in favorable matchups and occasionally the defense simply loses them.
Both Njoku and Bryant will play as the Browns have utilized three tight ends even in Njoku's absence. The Browns can dictate defensive personnel. If teams stay small, the Browns can simply run over them. If they change their personnel to match up in terms of size, the Browns can then use play-action and have their athletes simply out run the opposing linebackers.
The Browns play the Indianapolis Colts this week, so it's still going to be a question of how healthy Njoku is, but he's been chomping at the bit since last week, which might be an indication of where he thinks he is in terms of his healthy and readiness.
