Team news: Cleveland Browns

The nine catches David Njoku snagged were the most for a Browns tight end since Jordan Cameron in December of 2013.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski would praise Njoku's involvement in the run game, but his proficiency as a receiver is more likely what caused Clevland to sign the tight end to a four-year contract extension worth a maximum of $56.75 million with $28 million guaranteed. His annual average of $13.68 million made him the fifth highest-paid tight end in the league. In an arid tight end landscape, it would be wonderful to have Njoku as a fringe fantasy option for the rest of the season.

Kellen Mond won't get a second season in Minnesota.

The Vikings are waiving the 2021 third-round pick, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per a source informed of the situation.

Related players: Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens

As the story put it, we often see new regimes move on from young players they weren't as high on, and this is a good example. The Vikings front office signaled the likely end of Mond's time in Minnesota when it traded for backup Mullens last week.

Anthony Schwartz has had the opportunity to carve out a role in a thin Browns wide receiver room but finds himself on the outside looking in at 3-WR sets.

Related Players: Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell

Rookie David Bell looks like the current third wide receiver option behind Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper. Schwartz ran 42 routes over Cleveland's three preseason games, catching three of his twelve targets, dropping an incredible five of them, and averaging 0.67 yards per route run.

Trade! The Raiders are sending QB Nick Mullens to the Vikings for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2024, per sources.

Related players: Sean Mannion, Kellen Mond

Mullens will likely make the roster meaning the possible end for Mannion or Mond. Neither has been impressive in the preseason according to reports, so it's possible Mullens slides in as Cousins backup this season. This is a battle to watch for those owning Cousins in superflex dynasty leagues.

The suspension also includes a $5 million donation to charity. DeShaun Watson is scheduled to return to action in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.

Related Players: Jacoby Brissett, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt

Watson remains borderline-undraftable in all but the deepest redraft leagues, and the entire skill position group should receive a downgrade with Jacoby Brissett in as quarterback. It's very possible that the team leans more run-heavy, which would benefit Nick Chubb, but if the offense as a whole is less efficient, that would presumably level out over the course of three-quarters of the season.

The message on Monday was that a settlement remained viable. At this point, every minute that Peter Harvey doesn’t issue a ruling means that a settlement can still happen in the DeShaun Watson case. And because the NFL, as a practical matter, controls Harvey, he’ll wait until the NFL tells him that settlement talks have hit a brick wall.

That’s the bottom line. No ruling until no settlement.

The story went on to say the league surely wants at least 12 games and Watson is willing to take 8. The obvious middle ground is 10 games, plus a fine that converts all or part of 2021 into an unpaid suspension by taking up to the full $10 million in salary that he received last year. As previously mentioned, both sides need to be committed to selling to the public that last year was, as a practical matter, a paid suspension, since he didn’t play in 2021 due to the off-field issue.

Browns RB Kareem Hunt requested a trade from the team but was told no by Cleveland.

Hunt is entering the final year of his contract and has been looking for a new deal. Hunt is set to make over $6 million this season between his base salary and roster bonus. Hunt has been sitting out drills. Hunt is coming off a season in which he missed nine games due to injuries and Covid-19. As a result, D’Ernest Johnson broke out and became a very solid RB2 behind Nick Chubb. Hunt is currently just inside the top 100 of Underdog ADP and the No. 31 RB. But his absence has meant more opportunities for Johnson. It’s shaping up to be a true committee behind Chubb.

Name to watch: Isiah Pacheco. 7th-round RB (216 pound with 4.3 speed) is lighting up camp. Got Kareem Hunt traits, a gear Hunt didn't have.

Related players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones

The Chiefs RB duties could be up for grabs this year as it's not a loaded backfield. The team seemed to go away from CEH at the end of last year in favor of McKinnon, although CEH is getting most of the first team work, according to reports. Pacheco is certainly a name to keep an eye on when the dust settles in KC.

The NFL is appealing Watson's six-game suspension, according to a report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Goodell will now determine who will hear the appeal, according to a statement from NFL public relations head Brian McCarthy.

The story said earlier this week, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network suggested the NFL would be appealing the decision and handing down a much stiffer punishment. "Multiple league sources and legal experts predict that the NFL will exercise its right to file an appeal within three days and that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will significantly increase the punishment levied against the three-time Pro Bowl passer that included no fine," Wilson said. According to the story, Wilson also suggested Goodell could add an additional four to six games to the suspension. Wilson also said the commish could seek a season-long suspension and fine in the millions.

Browns WR Amari Cooper (ankle) returned to practice today and is participating in individual drills now.

Cooper suffered the injury on Monday but all reports indicated he would be fine, and so it's great news he's at least back for the individual work.