The Cleveland Browns could be sellers ahead of the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline.
Cleveland is off to a 1-3 start and will be turning to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in Week 5. With the Browns off to a slow start, Cleveland could look to trade some veteran players to get assets back in return to help their rebuild.
NFL insider Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named star tight end David Njoku as a trade candidate.
“Trading standout tight end David Njoku might seem counterintuitive, given Cleveland’s offensive woes,” Knox wrote. “However, it could prove to be a valuable move. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who leads the team with 17 receptions, appears more than ready to replace Njoku as Cleveland’s long-term starter. Moving Njoku, who is in a contract year, would likely bring some valuable draft capital in return.
That’s noteworthy because if Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders don’t look like Cleveland’s QB answer at the end of this season, the Browns likely will chase a quarterback in the 2026 draft,” Knox added.
Knox links Njoku to the San Francisco 49ers to replace the injured George Kittle. The insider expects Cleveland to get a conditional third-round pick which is a fair price to pay for the tight end.
Njoku is entering the final year of his four-year, $54.75 million deal with the Browns. Njoku, meanwhile, has recorded 14 receptions for 128 yards.
Fannin Jr. Could Make Njoku Expendable
Although Njoku is a big part of the Browns‘ offense, he is a trade candidate due to the rise of Fannin Jr., the rookie tight end.
Cleveland took Fannin Jr. in the third round to add another offensive weapon to the lineup. He could also replace Njoku as the starting tight end in 2026.
But, ahead of the season, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski also thought Fannin Jr. could be more than a tight end for the offense.
“The reason why we identified Harold in the draft—I thought they did a great job at Bowling Green, how they used him,” Stefanski said in the summer. “They really lined him up all over, and that’s something that you can only do with being intelligent and working very hard. We’re putting a lot on his plate and asking him to play multiple positions, meaning you’re going to have multiple jobs. He’s handling all of it very well.”
Fannin Jr. has recorded 17 receptions for 160 yards in four games this season.
Browns Make QB Change Ahead of Week 5
Cleveland’s offense has struggled through four weeks, and the team has made a significant change.
Ahead of the Browns taking on the Minnesota Vikings in England, the team has made a quarterback change, as Dillon Gabriel will replace Joe Flacco as the starter.
The news comes after Stefanski wouldn’t confirm the Browns‘ starting quarterback after the team’s blowout loss in Week 4.
“Yeah, I understand the question,” Stefanski said. “We have to play better as an offense. We have to coach better on offense. It’s not about one person. There are so many things that we need to do better, and obviously, the quarterback included. But this is not about one person… My focus is on making sure this offense plays better.”
Cleveland is a 4.5-point underdog against the Vikings on Sunday.
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