Penguins Prospect Travis Hayes Scores His Third Goal Of 2025-26 Season

The Cleveland Browns made the right decision by starting Dillon Gabriel, whether it should’ve been Shedeur Sanders or not. At least from the Browns’ perspective, they’re going the younger route and trying to figure things out for the long term. 

For the San Francisco 49ers, that could be excellent news for them as they look to build a better roster heading into the trade deadline. The Browns have multiple players on their roster, mainly veteran talent, who could be dealt. Despite playing somewhat decent football at 1-4, but looking good in some of those losses, it’s obvious that the Browns aren’t Super Bowl contenders. That instantly makes someone like David Njoku possibly available, who Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes would be a great fit for the 49ers for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick.

“Tight end David Njoku continues to be one of Cleveland’s most reliable offensive players, but he is also one of the Browns’ most sensible trade chips. Harold Fannin Jr. has impressed and appears poised to take over as Cleveland’s long-term starting tight end. Through five weeks, the rookie has caught 21 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown…

“While there’s value in having two pass-catching tight ends—especially for a team trying to support a young signal-caller—the Browns have to be thinking long-term. Njoku is set to be a free agent in 2026, and Cleveland should be able to get, at worst, a middle-round pick for him,” he wrote.

Browns Should Double-Think About Trading Veteran Players

When looking at who the Cleveland Browns might move on from after already trading Joe Flacco earlier in the week, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report noted that Njoku might have the highest value. However, if the San Francisco 49ers could get him for just a fourth-round pick, especially with George Kittle dealing with an injury, it seems like something the team has to explore.

“Cleveland is a competitive 1-4 squad that only lost by one point to the [Cincinnati] Bengals, who had a healthy Joe Burrow in Week 1, beat the Green Bay Packers and nearly upset the [Minnesota] Vikings in London. 

“However, the Browns must consider the long-term complexion of their roster. If they’re not going to extend veterans in the final year of their contracts, general manager Andrew Berry should put those players on the trade block. Among the skill players, tight end David Njoku and (running back) Jerome Ford would likely draw the most interest,” Moton wrote.

Should the Browns Have a Fire Sale?

While moving on from Flacco should be a sign that the Cleveland Browns want to continue this youth movement, it doesn’t guarantee that every player will be available. However, with rookie Harold Fannin Jr. needing opportunities, and Njoku possibly taking them away, the San Francisco 49ers should have a good enough chance to land somebody like Njoku.

“Teams that do selling at the trade deadline always have a variety of motivations for doing so, but for the Cleveland Browns, it’s become apparent that the youth movement is on, especially offensively. With the emergence of young players at almost every position group on that Cleveland offense, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Andrew Berry trade away David Njoku to pave the way for even more snaps for rookie Harold Fannin Jr,” FanSided’s Sayre Bedinger wrote.

It’ll likely come down to the price, but he’d be a decent addition if the Browns continue to go this way.