The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may very well have their roster set in stone for the rest of the season. It’s tough to argue with a 6-2 start that’s happened with star players missing on both sides of the ball for extended periods of time.
If you’re a head coach or general manager, you have to see that kind of competitiveness and toughness and be loathe to mess with the chemistry that comes with it.
But are the Buccaneers a Super Bowl contender? That’s a little more debatable. More likely than not, they’re probably only going to get to that level with a little help.
Heavy’s Max Dible thinks that help could come from a trade with the Cleveland Browns for Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku in exchange for a 2026 Day 3 draft pick.
“David Njoku is a competent tight end who can help a high-octane offense in Tampa Bay that needs some more pass-catching due to a handful of injuries to some of its top options, including Mike Evans and Chris Godwin,” Dible said. “The Browns are 2-6 and drafted Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round, who looks like a hit. Njoku probably isn’t coming back after he becomes a free agent next year, so getting a fifth-round pick, or the like, for him now makes more sense than letting him walk for nothing — especially since keeping Njoku for the rest of this season isn’t likely to change Cleveland’s fate.”
Former First Round Pick on Awful Teams
Njoku, 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, only played 2 seasons at the University of Miami and left school early for the NFL after putting up 43 receptions for 698 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games in 2016.
The Browns selected Njoku at No. 29 overall in the 2017 NFL draft — one of 3 tight ends picked in the first round. Njoku became a full time starter in his second season with 56 receptions for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns. He battled injuries in 2019 and 2020, missing 16 games, but bounced back in 2021 with 36 receptions for 375 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Njoku has had at least 50 receptions, 500 yards and 4 touchdowns in each of the last 3 years and had a career year in 2023 with 81 receptions for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns while earning his only Pro Bowl nod.
While Njoku has gotten super duper paid by the Browns — he’ll have approximately $70.4 million in career earnings after 2025 — what that money hasn’t bought is wins.
In 8 NFL seasons with Njoku, the Browns have had just 2 winning seasons — also their only 2 playoff appearances in that stretch — and even went winless in 2017 with an 0-16 record.
Buccaneers Already Have Reliable TE Option
Otton has been one of Tampa Bay’s most consistent targets for Mayfield in the last 2 seasons, including a breakout year in 2024 with career highs of 59 receptions for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns in just 14 games.
Like Njoku, Otton is also playing for big money. While Njoku is in the final season of a 4-year, $56.75 million contract, Otton is in the final year of a 4-year, $4.49 million contract and in line for a lucrative free agent contract following the season — if not sooner.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Trade Pitch Brings Buccaneers $56 Million Pro Bowler appeared first on Heavy Sports.