DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns sign TE Austin Hooper

I reserve judgement until I see this offense actually score points.
I've been hearing for years and every year how lethal the Browns offense
Is going to be by the media and homers

good signing, 2 TE set, nice. That should help Baker, now, can we please fix teh OL, LB's, and a Safety.

I don't think. Stefanski ran more 12 than any other team.

I think we will run a lot of it here. Don't expect him to get a huge contract or anything, but I think they'll keep him around.

but .. but .. but .. Depo and Berry are Moneyballing. They WILL NEVER pay anyone. They only want to lose and collect pay checks. They will not fill holes or sign ANYONE ......

Seems like a great start.

My dream is to add Conklin, sign Joe, draft Simmons.

We have never been this skilled at WR, TE, and RB at the same time... Baker gotta step it up.. and Berry and co. have to address this o-line.

Conklin makes this team an offensive unicorn (at least on paper).

Yeah, if we get an OT then Baker has zero excuse ... along with the rest of them

Browns, TE Austin Hooper agree to terms on deal

By Nick Shook
Around The NFL Writer
Published: March 16, 2020 at 12:45 p.m.Updated: March 16, 2020 at 01:02 p.m.

Let the record show that in 2020, the Browns made the first free-agent splash.

Cleveland has agreed to terms with tight end Austin Hooper, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Michael Silver reported.

The deal will make Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, per Rapoport, likely meaning he'll break $10 million per season and could end up closer to $11 million.

Hooper's signing is interesting for a couple of reasons. The tight end rose from a second option at the position to a primary weapon in Atlanta, increasing his catch, receiving yard and receiving touchdown totals in each of his last three seasons. He heads to Cleveland to play for a coach in Kevin Stefanski who wants to use two tight ends of differing skills in his offense, as Minnesota did with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. in 2019.

The Browns have plenty of cap space to work with, yet this signing forces us to question David Njoku's future with the team. Njoku missed all but four games last season due to a broken wrist and concussion suffered in Week 2, but his statistics over his first two seasons are similar to Hooper's. Are the two different enough to coexist? Or might the Browns trade Njoku?

The former first-round pick's fifth-year option will have to be picked up or declined during this offseason, a decision that could come at any time. Njoku also still needs to prove he can become a capable blocker and a reliable pass-catcher, not just a player with tremendous red-zone potential thanks to his jump ball-winning ability. He'll definitely have some competition in Cleveland soon enough.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001...o-terms-on-deal

j/c:

He had chemistry with Ryan ... it’s important for Baker and he to put some time in together

This not bad at all.

Wow. Only $23M guaranteed?

Cool.

And depending on how much money is given in signing bonus, it seems like it will generally be a two-year deal with most guaranteed money paid out by end of 2021? I'm interested to see contract details.

I expected him to get more than that honestly

Sounds like Shanny and the 49ers wanted to sign him, along with the Falcons....good to know people that he's worked for think highly of him.

Pretty happy with this move.

Welcome aboard! Now win us some games eventually this year.

THIS!! SO MUCH THIS!!!!

Honestly i thought it’d cost us more

I'm not complaining. We got ourselves a darn good TE for what I feel is a reasonable salary. He's better than anything we've had for awhile. Good job FO!!

I think they might be thinking more in terms of a decent-to-good blocking TE to pair up with Hooper in 12 alignments. It just makes sense to me that you will run quite a bit from that personnel grouping, and a Hooper-Njoku tandem wouldn't be that good blocking-wise, from what I've read about Hooper and what I know about Njoku.

They did tender Pharoah Brown. Is he the "blocking" TE? Thought he was meh.

Jc

Man I freaking told myself to not get excited during the offseason, yet here we are.

12-4. Baker mayfield, 4200 yards, 38 TDs, 8 picks.

And I ain’t started yet ...

I won't get excited until I see what's going on with this D.

I like Hoop ... i have no probs overpaying for him ... nature of the beast ... making him the highest paid in the league might be a little much but I’m guessing that’s what it took to get him here ..... and I’m guessing we had to throw a little extra in to lure him away from SF if the report they were interested is true ....

But he’s not a top 5 TE in the game now nor will he ever be ... heck, Phili alone has two that are bettor than him ... *L* ...

Signing #1 ... lets see what’s next ...

Go get um Andy ...

Those counting on Njoku ... ...

U still out on the window ledge or u started climbing back in yet ... *L*

J/c

Speaking of Hooper ... it’s not every day we sign someone who shares the name of a board member ...

very good acquisition. has only 5 drops in his 4 year career. last year, despite missing 3 games, still had around 75 receptions for 750 yds. almost the same in 2018. watching video of him, Good hands, good route runner. not extremely fast, but gets open. Stefanski wants to keep Njoku so that the 2 TE set is there for 60% of the play calls.

I have zero confidence in this franchise as a whole. These signings are nice and I'm happy we got them. But show me on the field. Win games. We are still weak at all the important postions...Owner, coach, and QB.

I won't believe it til I see it.

There's an Alex Rishuz in the upcoming draft.

Go get 'em Berry!

j/c...

Kind of how I felt way back when they signed Dave Zastudil ... okay, that's a lie.

Keith Britton
@KeithBritton86
·
4m
#Browns TE
@AustinHooper18
on
@BullandFox
re: himself-Odell-Jarvis-Njoku: "The four of us out there together, be hard pressed to find any defense that could play us man-to-man against all four of us across the board. I'm really excited about the opportunity."

I get that. 100% - but all the FO can do in this offseason, is the right thing/best thing ... say the right things and do the right things. From HC hire, to HC interviews and immediate impressions after his hire, to coaching staff in place, to initial signings ... so far so good.

yeah it will mean nothing if they don't win games on Sundays - but this looks pretty solid foundation to be successful from.

Just. Win. Games.

It's simple. Solid foundation, sure maybe.

Doesn't mean anything if they don't win.

I think that's what I said.

I was re-emphasizing.