A free agent to be who makes too much sense for the Cleveland Browns to sign with David Njoku heading out of town
The Cleveland Browns could get their David Njoku replacement candidate right from free agency.
The writing was on the wall but Monday evening brought some news that may be tough to swallow for some Cleveland Browns fans.
After nine seasons with the Browns, TE David Njoku will be moving on in free agency he announced on social media. The rise of Harold Fannin Jr. as a rookie made this possible for the Browns, and Cleveland will now need to sign another tight end for new head coach Todd Monken’s offense.
A Todd Monken connection could lead the Browns to their David Njoku replacement
Fannin passed Njoku as a rookie in terms of Cleveland’s top tight end and made the veteran expendable. Fannin has the ceiling to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and he may already be. But the Browns are still going to need to sign an in-line tight end to replace Njoku.
Baltimore Ravens TE Charlie Kolar is set to be a free agent and couldn’t make more sense for the Browns. Kolar was used as part of Monken’s offense in Baltimore for the past three seasons. Kolar is a blocker first and would fit the bill for any two-tight-end sets the Browns want to run.
Kolar had 142 receiving yards with a pair of touchdowns in 2025 in 17 games played. Over the past four seasons, Kolar has played in 47 games with 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns. Kolar has been the third tight end to Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in Baltimore, but could be the No. 2 in Cleveland.
A 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end, Kolar fits the mold of another big body up front. Kolar was a fourth-round pick out of Iowa State for the Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Browns want to get younger on offense, and Kolar turns 27 on the day this article is published. Njoku will be 30, and the price point and age no longer align with what the Browns need from their second tight end.
Cleveland finding Fannin in the third round last season and him going for 731 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a rookie showed he’s the future of the position. The Browns very well could draft another tight end late to fill out the room even if they sign Kolar, and they probably should.
Kolar has to make it out of Baltimore first but if he does and is available on March 9, Cleveland should be in on him. Monken could go with some familiarity for his next Y tight end.