CLEVELAND — Getting consistent productivity from the placekicker has been a problem for the Cleveland Browns in recent seasons after the departure of Pro Bowler Phil Dawson in free agency early in the 2013 offseason.
After not bringing in a free agent during the early part of the offseason, would the Browns consider spending a late-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on a kicker?
Well, Browns general manager John Dorsey addressed the matter in his pre-NFL Draft press conference at team headquarters in Berea last Thursday and did not seem as in favor of the idea as some fans were hoping he would be.
“In Green Bay, we drafted a kicker,” Dorsey recalled. “It didn’t work out too well, but still, I’ve been involved in that and there’s also been a punter we drafted, too. That didn’t work out too well either.”
Although the results have not been positive in Dorsey’s experience with choosing specialists, he did leave open the possibility to select one in the 2019 NFL Draft if there is one he feels is a marked upgrade over what the Browns have now in Greg Joseph.
“If he helps this organization moving forward and he’s that right value versus what his abilities are, why wouldn’t you take a shot at it?” Dorsey said.
Joseph was signed in the early part of the 2018 season after Zane Gonzalez missed four kicks in a one-score loss at the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Before signing with the Browns, Joseph spent training camp with the Miami Dolphins in 2018, where he made all three of his field goals and both extra-point attempts before being released at the end of the preseason after competing at the collegiate level for Florida Atlantic University.
During his four seasons at Florida Atlantic, Joseph converted 57 of his 82 field goal attempts for a career percentage of .695. Additionally, Joseph made 165 of his 170 extra-point tries (97.1 percent) while kicking for the Owls.
In 14 games with the Browns last season, Joseph converted 17 of his 20 field goal attempts (85 percent), with all three of his misses coming at distances over 40 yards. Also, Joseph made 25 of his 29 point-after tries (86.2 percent).
By bringing up the past with drafting specialists, Dorsey seemed committed to Joseph, just as new special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer did during his introductory press conference in early February.
“Greg, coming out of college last year, (was) a strong-legged kid,” Priefer said. “He needs some technique work. I still think he needs some technique work, but there is something there. He has a really big leg, and I think to kick in Cleveland, to go to Baltimore, to go to Pittsburgh or go to Cincinnati, all of these outdoor venues that I have not been used to these past eight years, you are going to need a strong-legged young man.
“I like Greg. I like what he brings to the table. I think he has a chance to be a really good kicker. Will we bring in competition for him? I am not sure yet. We have not had those discussions. At the end of the day, I think he has a chance to be pretty good, and I did like him coming out.”
