CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns reportedly had veteran kickers Blair Walsh and Cairo Santos at the team facility in Berea for tryouts Monday, but instead of the experienced NFL specialists, the organization went with a rookie.
The Browns signed Greg Joseph and waived second-year kicker Zane Gonzalez after the latter missed four kicks in Sunday’s 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, which brought his failed attempts to five in the first two games of the regular season.
“We felt real good about his workout,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said of Joseph.
“He did an excellent job. A young player, he has the chance, hopefully, to be very consistent as we move forward. He has a strong leg obviously, too. He fits all the criteria that we are looking for in a kicker. We feel good about him, and obviously, he has to go do it.”
Joseph spent training camp with the Miami Dolphins, 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.
“No doubt, hopefully, that will not be the case,” Jackson said with a laugh when asked if Joseph will be nervous about his first regular-season game. “We will have to work through that very quickly. His No. 1 job is to get that ball through those uprights.”
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Gonzalez was batting a leg injury while kicking for the Browns (0-1-1) against the Saints (1-1).
“Turns out Browns’ kicker Zane Gonzalez, who is losing Cleveland’s kicking job this week, has been kicking with a groin injury that requires an MRI today, per source,” Schefter tweeted. “Browns could reach an injury settlement with him or put him on waivers, injured.”
However, Jackson denied having any knowledge of an injury.
“No, I did not know and nobody had ever reported to me from our medical department that Zane was hurt,” Jackson said.
Joseph signed with the Browns during a hectic work week, as they host the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday Night Football, meaning there is only one full practice day and a small amount of walk-throughs to get the rookie kicker up to speed with snapper Charley Hughlett and holder Britton Colquitt.
“Let’s be honest, it is a quick turnaround,” Jackson said. “These are the decisions that we make that we think are the best thing for the team, and rightfully so. Obviously, we have to find someone that can put the ball through the uprights. We have had this situation happen now for a couple of weeks. We have to keep searching and keep looking.
“We are going to try to give him as much as we can….We just have to work through it and get him as much time as we need to make sure they are on the same page and see if we can get this young man kicking for us on Thursday night and be successful.”
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