Rooting For Devon
If you are a Cleveland Browns fan of any sort, you have heard of Devon Cajuste by now. I noticed the tight end on the first episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks. He is a humble kid with an amazing relationship with his father. It’s a relationship that some of us have with our fathers and the kind some of us want to have with our fathers. It’s a story of a kid trying to make a dream come true and making his father proud at the same time.
Not much is known about the undrafted Stanford product. After the 2016 draft, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers. It was short lived because he was cut several months later. Devon landed back on his feet in Green Bay when he was signed to their practice squad. He never made the official roster and was later released at the end of the season. Cajuste was out of football in 2017, but Cleveland came calling and this could be his year.
HBO brought Cajuste into the spotlight with five minutes of fame. We instantly fell in love with the guy and we all felt for him as his father revealed his troubled health history. Gregory Cajuste has suffered a stroke as well as three heart attacks. He has undergone a tracheotomy and at some point had to tell his son he had five years to live. It was a sad, emotional segment that some people can relate to. Now I feel that every person who has watched Hard Knocks is rooting for Devon to make the team.
It will be a challenge with David Njoku, Darren Fells and Seth DeValve all set to make the team. Typically teams don’t carry more than three tight ends on the roster, but that’s not stopping Cajuste from making a name for himself. Being a fan-favorite helps, too. That won’t stop him from being cut, though. We, as fans, have no control over that.
I hope we can find a spot for this guy.
He certainly has made the most of his limited opportunities. Devon caught two passes for 27 yards late in the game against the New York Giants and he added another big reception versus the Buffalo Bills. Cajuste caught a third-down pass from Baker Mayfield and turned upfield for 26 yards and a much needed first down.
Unfortunately, later in the drive, the tight end was called for offensive pass interference that took a touchdown off the board. In his defense, I don’t know what the ref saw on that play because I didn’t see any penalty. Cajuste got screwed over again later in the game on a special teams fumble recovery. He ran downfield for punt coverage and was in the dog pile and came out with the ball. This was huge. It gave Cleveland a chance to win the game until the officials reverse the call saying the play was dead and that forward progress was stopped.
Although both these plays went against Devon, both were questionable calls and I am still pulling for him. He seems to be making an impact when he gets the opportunity and this only helps his case. The more positive plays he is responsible for, the better. He may not be on the field as a tight end unless he rises up the depth chart which I doubt. I would keep him on special teams if it was up to me and then you can always plug him in on offense if needed. The Browns could always sign him to the practice squad, but that doesn’t protect him from being snatched up by another team. I know my opinion may be a little bias, but Cleveland has to keep Devon Cajuste on the roster!!!
Image: ESPN
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