Rookie Special Teamers Worth the Risk
CLEVELAND, Ohio – General Manager John Dorsey has made plenty of personnel changes to create what the front office believes to be the best 53-man roster for the 2019 season and going forward.
During training camp, the special teams’ positional battles were a constant talking point for the Cleveland media and Browns fans. Two veterans and two rookies competing to earn the placekicker and punter roster spots.
Second-year veteran Greg Joseph and 2019 fifth-round draft selection Austin Seibert battled all off-season for placekicking duties. Eleven-year veteran Britton Colquitt and former Scottish rugby player Jamie Gillan competed for punting and placeholding duties.
The narratives around these position battles throughout training camp were completely different.
Kickers Greg Joseph and Austin Seibert were both struggling during practices to get the football consistently through the uprights. Missed field goals were a consistent theme and that’s never a good sign for two players fighting for the same roster spot.
Britton Colquitt on the other hand seemed like a lock to win the punting job because the steep learning curve undrafted rookie Jamie Gillan faced. Colquitt was viewed as one of the better punters in the NFL and Gillan still had to learn the nuances of placeholding for field goals.
Seibert began to separate himself in the final two preseason games following missed field goals by both him and Joseph in the week two win against the Indianapolis Colts. Seibert went 4-for-4 on field goals, with a long of 54 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three. Then concluded the preseason against the Detroit Lions making all four field goal and extra point attempts.
Dorsey’s decision to name Austin Seibert as the starting kicker has paid huge dividends. Seibert is a perfect 14-for-14 on field goals and is one of only five kickers without a missed field goal attempt this season. He has also shown better accuracy through his first 8 games compared to Greg Joseph’s first eight games in 2018.
Seibert has yet to attempt a 50-yd field goal during the regular season and showcase his leg strength. During Thursday’s media press conference, special teams coordinator Mike Priefer stated that Seibert made a 63-yd field goal during pregame warmups in Denver. The question now stands if he can make those long kicks during regulation when it counts.
Unlike the obvious battle for the placekicking job, Dorsey’s decision for the punters roster spot was more convoluted. He was faced with taking a chance on two rookies handling special team kicking roles.
The risk was extremely high if Seibert's and Gillan's mistakes caused the team to lose games this season. Mistakes happen in every aspect of the game but inexperience increases the likelihood of them happening.
Britton Colquitt was deemed the favorite by media personnel to be the opening day punter. He was coming off a solid 2018 season campaign and had two years left on his contract.
Being a mentor for the inexperienced Jamie Gillan seemed to be a focal point for the veteran punter. In most situations depending on even performance, the veteran player would make the final roster and developing players would be stashed on the practice squad. Gillan having very limited placeholding experience seemed like an ideal candidate to be placed on the practice squad.
Conveniently nicknamed “The Scottish Hammer”, Gillan showcased amazing leg strength as a left-footed punter throughout training camp. The coaching staff also raved about his growth as a placeholder. Much to his own surprise he was selected to the Browns final 53-man roster after cutdown.
Dorsey saved over $4.41 million in cap space by moving on from Britton Colquitt. A move that improves cap management for extending players long-term, much like center J.C. Tretter and hopefully linebacker Joe Schobert.
Gillan not only helps with his team friendly contract but has quietly been one of the best punters in the league. His 43.1-yd punting net average is sixth highest amongst punters with at least 20 punts. He is also very efficient with 51.4 percent of his punts marked inside the 20-yd line, which ranks fourth best this season.
The performances by both Seibert and Gillan have been a bright spot for the Browns amidst a 2-6 record. John Dorsey’s decision to stick with two rookies over veterans is working out thus far.
Jamie Gillan was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in week two and Austin Seibert is coming off a 4-for-4 field goal performance against the Denver Broncos.
Their growth this season and low cap hits could potentially lead to a dynamic special team kicking duo in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
