Cleveland Browns Kicking Situation Is Very Interesting
By Ryan Rosko
Who will ultimately end up kicking for the Cleveland Browns this upcoming season?
The Cleveland Browns already have Travis Coons at kicker. Coons was above average in his rookie season last year, but the position could be better. In an attempt to upgrade at kicker, Cleveland has gone the UDFA route following the 2016 NFL Draft.
Following the draft, Cleveland initially signed former University of Maryland kicker Brad Craddock. Once the Jacksonville Jaguars made former TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom available, the Browns decided to put a claim on the former Horned Frog which they won.
Oberkrom successfully kicked 79% of his field goals while in college. He was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award. Craddock won the award in 2014.
It was only a short period of time that Craddock was with the Cleveland Browns, but it was clear that he did not cut what Cleveland was looking for. Had he done a good enough job, perhaps the claim of Oberkrom never would have happened.
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Should no other kicker be brought in, the kicker position is part of the roster that I am not too excited about. Veteran kickers who are still looking for a new team include Kai Forbath, Shayne Graham, and Randy Bullock.
None of those players are guaranteed to be any better than Coons. If I had to pick one, I would probably lean towards Bullock. Then again, teams cut talented kickers in preseason, so someone who gets cut may actually be a better fit.
Had it not been for Coons’ blocked kicks last season, the Cleveland Browns may not have been as invested in adding to the position this offseason. With Craddock out of the picture, Oberkrom needs to impress the Cleveland Browns early and often. If that does not happen, Oberkrom could end up like Craddock sooner rather than later.
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Coons is far from being one of the top 10 kickers in the NFL. Still, he already knows what it takes to win an NFL job. Only this time, he is kicking to save his spot on the roster.
Doesn’t it seem that the Cleveland Browns are trying to put a square peg in a round hole in regards to the kicker position? The kicker Cleveland wants is likely not on their roster right now and it may be another year before the Browns get a definite long-term answer at the position.
Due to the situation Cleveland is in, both Coons and Oberkrom has an opportunity to prove that they are the best option. There were surprises during free agency and the draft. Yet, as the Browns make their way down to 53 players, plenty more surprises should occur…only this time not at kicker.
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Unless Oberkrom is lights out in OTAs, training camp, as well as the preseason (assuming he is still on the roster), Coons is going to be the Cleveland Browns kicker. Coons kicking is not the worst option teams could put on the field, but improvements from his play in 2015 have to be evident.