The Underrated Browns Addition Who Changes Everything This Offseason

When the Cleveland Browns knew fan-favorite tight end David Njoku wasn’t going to be returning to the team, the team opted to stack the position group.

They drafted two tight ends, resigned two and signed a new one in free agency. It’ll be a battle to trim the room down to three or four, but Carsen Ryan may just be the most underrated option.

While Ryan may have gone under the radar during the draft process and even now as a new member of the team, he could be making a major impact as soon as this season.

What Ryan brings

Cleveland brought Ryan in during the seventh round of the NFL draft. He was the second tight end Cleveland drafted, behind Joe Royer in the fifth. Royer is the early favorite to be tight end two as an explosive pass catcher behind Cleveland’s star in Harold Fannin.

Now Ryan will be left competing against new addition Jack Stoll, and re-signings Blake Whiteheart and Brenden Bates for the one or two more spots. Cleveland will be looking for true blockers who can add some offense with good hands.

Ryan fits that mold better than any of the other two options, while adding versatility that no other tight end does. Ryan has been used as both a blocking tight end in heavy sets, while also playing some fullback.

Cleveland’s new head coach, Todd Monken, loved to utilize heavy tight end sets and fullbacks while he was the offensive coordinator in Baltimore. He consistently had three tight ends who were all threats, and one of the game’s best fullbacks in Patrick Ricard.

Ryan may be a perfect match for Monken’s system. He has the strength to line up as a tight end, and the athleticism to line up in the backfield to be a fullback.

Ryan’s spot to the roster

As a seventh round pick, Ryan has some slight claim to a roster spot, but he’ll be easily disposable if Cleveland doesn’t see the fit. Again, Fannin and Royer seem like the two locks to this point, leaving either one or two spots depending on how much Monken likes his tight ends.

Bates has already spent time on the Browns practice squad and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back there. That leaves just Whiteheart and Stoll as competition.

Whiteheart has been a Brown for the past few seasons, but has had limited production. He’s caught just eight passes in his career, including two for four yards last season. While he has been a solid blocker, Cleveland may want some more offensive upside.

Stoll is arguably the best blocking tight end on the roster. He’s a veteran and a leader for the team. He did make a mistake on a miscommunication in camp causing a Deshaun Watson interception, but he owned up to it like a leader.

The biggest difference between Stoll and Ryan is going to be Ryan’s versatility. He can essentially play two positions while taking up just one roster spot. That value is hard to find, and should give him an edge. 

Stoll is also on a cheap one-year contract. That makes him easy to cut as well if the fit isn’t there. Ryan may be a forgotten man right now, but don’t be surprised if he makes a name for himself in camp and plays a big role this season.