Should the Cleveland Browns be concerned about Cade York?
By Jacob Roach
Cleveland Browns kicker Cade York missed two more field goals against the Ravens, should the team be concerned about his long-term future?
The Cleveland Browns surprised many when they elected to take kicker Cade York in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. No other kickers were selected in the draft, though some punters were, and many thought taking a kicker there was a mistake. Now a few months later York has seen some significant struggles in his home stadium in Cleveland.
On the season overall York is 22/30 (73.3%) on field goal attempts which ranks 32nd in the NFL and is 29/31 (93.5%) on extra point attempts. The biggest concerns with these numbers are the home and away splits for York into field goals. Outside of First Energy Stadium York has gone 13/15 on field goal attempts compared to 9/15 when kicking in Cleveland.
It’s easy to see when York kicks in warmups and practice that as far as leg talent goes, he has more than enough to make all the kicks. He has a strong leg which he shows off each week even on misses you can see that leg strength isn’t usually the issue.
So that leads many people to question what the issue is and whether can they correct it. Former NFL kicker Jay Feely weighed in on Twitter a few weeks ago.
I went and watched every miss that Cade York has had this year. The misses are on him. There were no bad snaps or holds. Bojorquez has struggled the past couple years with holding but he worked very hard this off-season.
— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) November 28, 2022
The biggest issue I see is plant foot placement for York https://t.co/HIrX5V8qYP
If the struggles continue to be about plant foot placement and mechanics it should highlight another reason the Browns should move on from special teams coordinator Mike Preifer. It shows on tape that it isn’t a lack of talent so why has the coaching not been able to correct it this season?
Some experts believe the hardest part of kicking in the NFL is the mental side of it and York at times seems to be in his head and compounding mistakes. Cleveland’s coaching staff must find a way to make sure York’s confidence isn’t shot because if it is they have a big problem on their hands.
Right now, it’s clear that Kevin Stefanski can’t trust his kicker to take the points, especially when at home in Cleveland. The Browns will likely stick with York, and rightfully so, but they have got to figure out his mechanics in 2023 if they want to have a successful season.
Next. 3 biggest areas of improvement for the Cleveland Browns in 2023. dark