The Jacksonville Jaguars could use help at tight end. They placed Brenton Strange on Injured Reserve after Week 5, and he doesn't appear to be close to returning. Compounding the issue is that backup Hunter Long had a drop and sustained a knee injury against the Las Vegas Raiders.
If that wasn't enough, Quintin Morris has missed two consecutive games while recovering from a groin injury. Simply put, the Jaguars have a dire need at tight end, and their dwindling depth should push them to target the perfect trade candidate at the November 4 deadline.
The Jaguars must consider trading for David Njoku at the deadline
Even if the Jaguars get Brenton Strange back at some point in the year, trading for David Njoku to bolster their depth at tight end would increase their odds of making a playoff push, especially in light of the Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Njoku has been the subject of trade chatter for a while. The fact that the Cleveland Browns appear to be high on Harold Fannin could make him expendable. Sure, the nine-year veteran is a valuable pass catcher, and the Browns aren't reportedly open to trading him. However, they are 2-6 and don't appear to have a chance to turn things around this season. That may prompt them to acquire as many assets as they can to replenish the roster in 2016.
A first-round pick in 2019, Njoku had appeared in 77 games with 64 dating back to 2020 and has hauled in 285 catches for 2,963 yards since then. The Jaguars could most definitely use that kind of production at tight end.
Njoku is slated to become a free agent next year, and Cleveland has paid off most of his salary. The Jaguars would have no trouble picking up the remaining balance of his contract, and it's possible that a fourth or fifth-round pick could get a deal done.
David Njoku could give the Jaguars offense a boost
Aside from missing Brenton Strange, the Jaguars are dealing with injuries at receiver. They already placed Travis Hunter on Injured Reserve, while Dyami Brown suffered a concussion in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. With Trevor Lawrence running out of healthy targets, trading for David Njoku would make sense.
Even if Strange comes back, Njoku would give Jacksonville a 1-2 punch at tight that could present matchup troubles for opposing teams to stop.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars will need all the help they can get their hands on to catch up with the Indianapolis Colts in the division race. That's why David Njoku would most definitely be a welcome addition to their offense.