DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Release Gary Barnidge

I was telling my brother that I wouldn't be surprised if Barnidge or Haden got traded on draft day.

Barnidge didn't fit Hue's system last year. He's 32 and we had 3 young tight ends last year that looked promising.

I really like the guy, but I saw this one coming.

Would have loved him to stay and help the youngins out and still contribute...good overachiever he was for us.

Me, too. Something hit the fan and I missed it. Poser for me.

I agree, and there is our 2 TE set. Two guys with some speed and good hands. Njoku is said to be a good blocker. I looked up his combine stats...4.6 speed and pushed the bar 22 times. He has the strength to be a good blocker.


That said, Gary was a good player for us. His playing days aren't over. He will find a home and help them.

Well he was certainly under-utilized when compared to the previous season. TE was one of our "strong" points and IMO Hue didn't make full use of it.

Class. Act.

Absolutely.

Stupid move in my opinion

Hate to lose Barnidge. I do not like this move. For a team trying to claw their way back to respectability letting a talented player go just because you drafted another talented player I do not get. Do the Browns only allow so many talented players on the roster at one time?

Thanks Gary for your time here!
From a Class and Character standpoint I'm Sorry to see him go.
Barnidge has certainly been a work horse and always been a Team Guy!

But at 32 he certainly won't fit into Hue's style of Offense.
His speed, needed for separation, and blocking abilities just can't cut it anymore.
Young fresh bodies are the building blocks needed now.

I think it's the second... While I don't like releasing him if you know he's not in your plans more decent to let him go early so that he can hopefully sign on with someone

It also sounds like maybe he's going to retire. The way he thanked the Browns and it was time to move on. I hope he does retire and enjoy his life, he's earned it. Thanks Gary!

Good luck Gary...you are a class act.

I don't agree w/cutting him. I think the guys we have at TE are raw and inexperienced. I have no problem w/moving on from Barnidge, but I would have kept him around for one more year to be the dependable one and a mentor.

Thats must have been a hard decision.
Telfer is basically a blocker and DeValve is a reciever playing TE.

The rook better be put on a fast track to fill Gary's shoes.

they have to like Devalve quite a bit too

Roster spots have always been a premium; not just this year. 53 is fine.

Perfectly stated

Definitely gonna miss this guy. Whether the other guys end up better or not, he was a bright spot for a while.

Yeah, I never liked the practice of letting guys go before you know that you've filled their shoes. We now have a TON of inexperience at the TE position.

Those inexperienced guys also need reps.

From the looks of Barnidge on the field last year, it looks more like he would have needed to earn that spot.

Better get over that. It's not like the front office is releasing veterans that met expectations, they didn't come close, so they drafted a replacement. It's the NFL not a charity.

he was our second leading reciever... makes you wonder about the talent kept over him...

All 14 may have been kept initially, but I believe some were cut as time went on. I know Scooby Wright was..

I liked Barnidge. Was always a class act. If he doesn't retire, I hope he goes to contender. He deserves that.

Good Luck Gary!

The thing with TE's is they don't have complicated routs to learn, and most of their catches are quick hitting plays. If we thought his hands were good enough, he can step right in and play.

I see a lot of 2 TE sets. Both Njoku and DeValve can play in line of play outside. I see major mismatches with both on the field.

It will also open up our running game. Teams will have to move in to a nickle or even dime which should allow our line to bust open huge holes.

I wonder who will get the blame next year when all these positive thoughts don't come to fruition and reality sets in?

Hue?

Njoku, physically, is a direct comparison to Kellen Winslow, Jr..... except that Njoku's taller, more explosive, and can actually block.

For all the noise folks like rasta want to make about his drops - he had EIGHT over his last TWO SEASONS. That's it. Only Eight.



Combine Results

Njoku
6' 4", 246lbs
40: 4.64
Bench: 21 reps
Hands: 10"
Broad Jump: 133"
Vertical: 37.5"

Winslow
6' 3", 247lbs
40: 4.62
Bench: 24 reps
Hands: N/A
Broad Jump: 120"

40: 4.64

You got it!

Yeah, I noticed the typo after I hit submit, lol

I hope you are all right - don't know much about Njoku. However, I'd like to point out that KWII had some of the best hands we have had on this team in recent memory (ok, not a great pinnacle but still). i lost count of the times he and Jurevicius bailed out DA in that 10-6 season. If Njoku can live up to 80% of that billing, then I'd be thrilled. I thought KWII was a special player, such a shame

Hopefully we now have some mismatch weapons in DeValve and Njoku who can open up the running game. Virtuous versus vicious cycles. No KWII pun intended.

"In two seasons at Miami, he caught 64 passes for 1,060 yards and nine touchdowns. As a redshirt sophomore, he led ACC tight ends with 698 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 catches. Among Power Five tight ends, only Mississippi senior Evan Engram had more yards (926, on 65 catches). In Miami history, only Winslow (726 yards in 2002***) produced more in a single year.
He left Miami with two seasons of eligibility remaining. In doing so, he became one of the youngest players to enter the draft. Since 2007, when Houston made 19-year-old defensive end Amobi Okoye the youngest draft pick ever, one player was selected as a 20-year-old. Njoku turns 21 on July 10.

That age and ability are two reasons CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler reported one anonymous NFL tight end coach viewing Njoku as having “the most upside he’s ever seen in a TE prospect.”"
link




*** Winslow needed 57 receptions to hit that total, for an average of 12.7 ypc. Njoku averaged 16.2 ypc. Both players had 8 TD in their respective best seasons.

Winslows college career average was even lower at 11.5 ypc, while Njoku's was higher at 16.6 ypc.


His drops average 1 in every 9 targets (and has a 1:1 TD:Drop ratio, lol). That's not fantastic, but if he can give me 8 catches for 133 yds and 1 TD, I'll forgive that next ball, lol!


p.s. Njoku can jump like Winslow only wishes he could.... he was also a high jumper (2015 All-ACC 2nd Team, 2016; holds 2nd best high jump ever at Miami (FL))