The Baltimore Ravens have spent most of the offseason licking their wounds after multiple players left in free agency, especially on the offensive side of the ball, with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar signed with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively.
Mark Andrews stands by himself as the only starting-caliber tight end on the roster, and that needs to change if Jesse Minter wants his offense to replicate what they did in past seasons. The buzz linking the Ravens to a division rival in Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku continues to grow after the Worldwide Leader got involved.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell said that Baltimore should be viewed as the best landing spot for Njoku, citing the fact that his potential as a pass-catching tight end far exceeds that of recent signing Durham Smythe and instantly gives the Ravens an upgrade at the second tight end spot.
Baltimore' loyalty to Andrews helped them run Likely and Kolar out of town, and the best thing they can do for themselves is to bring in a player of Njoku's caliber to ensure that Lamar Jackson has enough weapons to compete with the best of the best in the AFC.
ESPN links David Njoku to Baltimore Ravens in free agency
Njoku caught just 33 passes for 293 yards last season, but that can be explained as the byproduct of both one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league and Harold Fannin coming out of nowhere to take his touches. Baltimore may offer him a role more based around getting tight ends the ball as receivers.
Njoku is not Rob Gronkowski as far as blocking is concerned, but he can hold his own in that area. New OC Declan Doyle managed to help keep Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland both fed in Chicago, and he can do the same with Andrews and Njoku if Baltimore can pull this off.
The Ravens could use their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq to find a long-term replacement for Andrews, or wait until the second round for Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers. However, if they want to use those picks to revitalize the offensive line, Baltimore may need to use free agency for tight end upgrades.
Cleveland, being as bad as they have been over the years, has obscured the fact that Njoku is one of the more underrated tight ends in the AFC.