As Browns minicamp draws ever closer, Cleveland’s staff has acquired some tryout players to fill out the roster. With a defensive back, a long snapper, and two kickers coming on board, can any of them make the 53-man roster?
According to Fred Greetham, the Cleveland Browns will be bringing on four new bodies for tryouts during this year’s minicamp stint.
Let’s dive in. Long snapper talk might not be the most glamorous debate around. Especially seeing as the Browns already have a competent long snapper in Charley Hughlett, it is unlikely that Seme makes the team.
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In fact, Hughlett is entering season two of his monstrous six-year contract that makes him the highest paid long snapper in the league. Should Seme actually manage to overtake him, that move could prove to bite the Browns down the road.
Joseph Puto is a relative non-factor as well, considering that the Browns secondary could very well be set already. With E.J. Gaines and Denzel Ward likely starting at cornerback, Damarious Randall and Jabrill Peppers at safety, Puto will have a very hard time getting on the roster.
Yes, the main talking points here are the kicker prospects. After all, kickers are people too, and although Zane Gonzalez is the incumbent starter, his roster spot is nowhere near safe.
Gonzalez had a bit of the yips last season, but steadied out near the end of the year. It is unlikely that both these kicker tryouts make the first 90-man roster, but it is almost certain that one makes the team.
On accuracy alone, former Duke kicker Ross Martin is the more likely threat to Gonzalez’s kicking throne. While with the Blue Devils, Martin hit 83.9 percent of his field goals, comparing favorably to Rose’s 71.7 percent.
While it is unlikely that Gonzalez is taken down in training camp, it is almost inevitable that one of these two gets a shot at his roster spot.
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In any case, Browns fans will be in for a very interesting kicking competition during this year’s training camp.