Browns double-down commitment to kicker Cade York by waiving all camp competition

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

You think it was bold for the Browns to use the 124^th overall pick in the fourth round on Cade York, making him the highest-drafted NFL kicker since 2016?

Well, they double-downed on that boldness on Monday. The Browns waived the other two kickers on the roster, veteran Chase McLaughlin and untested Chris Blewitt.

Essentially, the Browns are handing York the job without any threat of competition.

Not that anyone expected McLaughlin to steal the job after the Browns invested a fourth-round pick in York, but it is a little unusual to carry only one kicker in camp. If nothing else, you’d want another kicker to keep your starter from overdoing it in camp and preseason. Surely, the Browns will monitor York’s workload.

McLaughlin was the Browns’ 10^th place-kicker since Phil Dawson left in free agency in 2013. He won the job in training camp from Austin Seibert, a John Dorsey fifth-round pick in 2019, and made his first 10 field goals, including one from 57 yards against the Chicago Bears. But after suffering a blocked field goal against Denver in Game 7, McLaughlin hit a slump.

He missed 6 of his last 11 kicks – all from 40 to 49 yards.

McLaughlin entered the transaction season as restricted free agent. The Browns did not tender him, but they re-signed for the league minimum and no signing bonus.

York shattered records at LSU, including a legendary game-winner from 57 yards through the fog against rival Florida in a game in 2020. For his career, York was 54 of 66 on field goals, including 15 of 19 from 50 yards and more, and 164 of 168 on PATs.

In his post-draft wrap-up on Saturday, GM Andrew Berry acknowledged fourth round was “a little high” to take a kicker, “but we do think that he is an excellent prospect and has a good chance to be a good kicker for a long time.”

“Honestly, kicker has been a spot that we have monitored for several drafts,” Berry continued. “Having specialists on a rookie deal, a young, high-potential specialist on a rookie deal is something that is valuable and important to us. Just like with anything, the value and just the opportunity cost of when you are considering that player is important so I would not say it is something that was new in terms of our thinking. I think we all know in this room how difficult it is to kick here in Cleveland. With Cade, we certainly think has the raw talent to do so.”

York is a native of Texas and played his entire collegiate career in Louisiana against all southern rivals.

York said he already has heard of the difficulties of kicking through the capricious winds off Lake Erie in FirstEnergy Stadium. He intends to connect soon with Dawson, who became an amateur meteorologist over 14 seasons in Cleveland while breaking Lou Groza’s franchise record for field goals.

“That’s one of the hardest places to kick in the country, so if I’m good there I’ll be good everywhere,” York said.

While York has never played a game in snow, he said he has much experience kicking in high winds.

“When there’s [inclement] weather coming in Louisiana, we get tropical storms,” he said. “At LSU, when the wind gets heavy the flags are blowing in all different directions. You just kind of had to kick in there as often as possible and know how much the ball would move and never aim too far outside.

“Yeah, I’ve dealt with wind before. But I’ve heard Cleveland’s a little bit different.”

Tight end outside the box

You just knew Berry had something up his sleeve when the team failed to select a tight end among its nine draft picks.

On Monday, Berry signed tight end Marcus Santos-Silva of Texas Tech. He’s 6-6 and 261 pounds.

So what’s so outside the box about the transaction? Santos-Silva, 24, has not played football since his freshman year in high school.

A growth spurt resulted in Santos-Silva concentrating on basketball. He played three years at Virginia Commonwealth and then transferred to Texas Tech and played two more years.

In five college seasons, Santos-Silva averaged 7.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

There have been several athletes who switched from basketball to football and became productive players in the NFL.

Antonio Gates originally was recruited for football at Michigan State by Nick Saban. Gates wanted to play both football and basketball and when Saban objected he transferred first to Eastern Michigan and then to Kent State, where he concentrated on basketball.

Gates averaged 20.6 points a game as a senior and then decided to work out for NFL teams. The San Diego Chargers signed him. Gates made the Pro Bowl eight times and All-Pro five times in 16 seasons with the Chargers. Gates is the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns.

Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham are other ex-basketball players who became All-Pros at tight end in the NFL. But both played football in college, too.