Video: Cleveland’s *other* Big Three?
August 19, 2015The injury bug returns to the Browns, hitting Terrelle Pryor and Justin Gilbert
August 19, 2015The Browns have one preseason game under their belt with their next game coming on Thursday against the Buffalo Bills. Over the course of the last month or so, I have previewed each position and unit on the Cleveland Browns. We will finish the Browns preview series by looking at the team’s special teams unit. It is a unit that saw a lot of changes happen to its personnel. Let’s take a look at the Browns 2015 special teams unit.
2015 Browns Position Previews: Safeties | Cornerbacks | Inside Linebackers | Outside Linebackers | Defensive Line | Tight Ends/Fullbacks | Running Backs | Offensive Line | Wide Receivers | Quarterbacks
2015 Browns Unit Previews: Defense | Offense | Special Teams
The Special Teams
Key Additions
P Andy Lee (Trade – San Francisco 49ers)
K Travis Coons (Free Agency – Tennessee Titans)
K Carey Spear (Free Agency – Philadelphia Eagles)
Key Losses
P Spencer Lanning (Waived – Denver Broncos)
K Garrett Hartley (Waived – Pittsburgh Steelers)
LS Christian Yount (Waived – Unsigned)
My Projected Special Teams Starting Lineup
Punter: Andy Lee
Kicker: Competition between Travis Coons/Carey Spears
Long Snapper: Charley Hughlett
Punt Returner: Travis Benjamin
Kick Returner: Competition between Justin Gilbert/Duke Johnson/Marlon Moore
Breakout Player: Travis Benjamin
The Browns had a horrible return game last season, going through multiple returners after Travis Benjamin had his early season struggles. Benjamin had 15 punt returns for 127 yards and two fumbles, while also returning 12 kickoffs for 246 yards. He had problems muffing and fumbling punts, along with not producing many big returns. Some of his struggles, however, can be attributed to his ACL injury from which he was returning last season. He tore his ACL midway through the 2013 season, so last season he was still in those months where players are not fully back to their full form.
Benjamin has breakaway speed to be a huge playmaker as a returner. Before last season, he was one of the more dangerous returners, returning two punts for touchdowns in his career. If he can regain the form he showed in spurts in 2012 and 2013, Benjamin can add a huge threat on the Browns special teams. I believe Benjamin will be the breakout star as the team’s punt returner, making numerous big plays for the Browns this coming season.
Biggest Improvement: Punter
The Browns made a big trade for their special teams this offseason, acquiring punter Andy Lee from the San Francisco 49ers. Lee is a three-time Pro Bowler who last season had an average of 46.8 yards per punt and 28 punts that landed inside the 20-yard line. His punt average ranked sixth best in the league, while ranking ninth in most punts inside the 20-yard line. Lee is a huge upgrade over last year’s punter Spencer Lanning, who averaged 44.3 yards per punt and had 25 punts land inside the 20. His average ranked 22nd in the league, while his 25 punts inside the 20-yard line was 17th most in the league. Lee is a clear improvement for the Browns and the biggest improvement on the special teams.
Biggest Strength: Andy Lee
New punter Andy Lee is the Browns greatest strength on special teams. He has a strong leg with a career average of 46.2 yards per punt. But, as seen in the first preseason game last Thursday where he had four of his five punts land inside the 20-yard line, Lee is a very accurate punter too. Last season, Pro Football Focus gave Lee the eighth best grade amongst all the punters in the league with a plus-18.9 grade. He is a player who can flip the field position for the Browns and pin the opposing team in bad field position.
Biggest Weakness: Kicker
The Browns have a competition at kicker between Travis Coons and Carey Spears. Both players are younger, inexperienced kickers with a lot of uncertainty attached. The team has been looking for a steady starting kicker ever since Phil Dawson left in free agency after the 2012 season. Coons and Spears have not kicked a field goal in a regular season game. It is a huge unknown as to what the Browns can expect from their kicker position. The uncertainty of the two young kickers makes this the weakest position on the team’s special teams unit.
Grade: B-
The Browns special teams unit is a solid group overall. On punt coverage, the Browns have one of the better punters in the entire league in Andy Lee. He can help give the team a field position advantage along with pinning the opponent in bad field position. The Browns also have a good punt coverage team, limiting the opponent to the eighth fewest yards per punt return last season (7.0 yards per return). Just like the punt coverage team, the Browns kick coverage team is one of the better ones in the league, allowing the ninth fewest yards per kick return to the opponent in the entire league last season (22.4 yards per return). Both of Browns young kickers also have strong legs to kick it deep into the end zone on kick returns.
The Browns punt return game should be improved this season. Travis Benjamin has a season under his belt since he tore his ACL and so he should be close to regaining his form before he was injured. If he can regain this form, the Browns will be getting a playmaker on special teams, who can change a game with one play. Meanwhile, the Browns are in midst of a competition for the starting kick returner. Justin Gilbert, Duke Johnson, and Marlon Moore are among those competing to win the starting kick returner job. I believe Justin Gilbert is the favorite to win the spot, unless Duke Johnson can return from injury and show his playmaking ability as a returner. Kick returner and kicker are still the biggest questions that need to be answered on special teams. But overall, the special teams for the Browns are solid, especially in terms of punt and kick coverage.
All stats (unless noted otherwise) are from ESPN.com
8 Comments
The Browns stole a really good kicker from the 49ers!!!!
Oh, wait, no, not that one. Sorry.
Benjamin needs to be removed from PR duties. He WILL get hurt doing that. He’s more important as an emerging WR.
Give PR duties to Gilbert. I think he can be just as good a PR playmaker, and it might help give him some confidence and get his mind right.
Sorry, I’m breaking it out…
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I would be happy if they performed at a B-. Last year they were probably a D.
I like to think Andy Lee is positive karma returning to the Browns, to repay us for giving the Niners Dawson.
Last year’s whole fair catch/”no punt return for you” thing was about the strangest, most fearful thing I’ve ever seen on special teams. Farmer didn’t trust a street free agent to catch the ball and return it 6 yards, or 12 if the gunner happened to trip on some loose sod. That’s when it most felt like we had a rookie GM and a rookie head coach. C’mon guys, reach for the mediocrity. 6 yards is 6 yards, an extra Big Ben or Flacco completion on the ensuing drive.
No, no, no, no, no!
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C- just for Marlon Moore last year (in particular the Cribb tackles)