Browns Bring In Another Kicker To Practice Squad, This Time Matthew McCrane
The Cleveland Browns have filled out their practice squad with another kicker, adding Matthew McCrane.
The Browns have been one of the several teams that have carried an extra kicker for one of their practice squad slots this season. Not only does this provide insurance for simply being dissatisfied with the current kicker as the Browns have already done once, waiving Austin Seibert, but it also is insurance against injury.
Because of the COVID-19 protocols, a team can't go out and simply sign a kicker on the spot. They have to wait the three days to sign them. Cody Parkey was able to practice with the team from the practice squad, which is what evidently gave the Browns the confidence he would do a better job than Seibert.
McCrane will be available if Parkey were to get hurt, but everyday in practice, he's getting to work and prove himself.
One of the areas where having an extra kicker is important for the Browns is kickoff. The Browns want their kickers to strike the ball so it goes higher in the air and drops inside the five yard line so they can try to tackle them short of where a touchback would start them as well as potentially cause a fumble and get the ball.
McCrane has appeared in five NFL games, all in 2018, with three different teams. That year, he appeared in one game with the Arizona Cardinals, one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers and three games for the now Las Vegas Raiders.
McCrane played for the New York Guardians in the XFL in 2019. The XFL's rules incentivized kickers to keep the ball in play, which may have been attractive to the Browns.
The Browns practice squad now has all 16 spots filled.
