DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Hodges Out for season

Browns P Hodges out for season
by Don Delco of theOBR.com, August 2, 2011 at 2:58 pm ET

Reggie Hodges Profile

The news from the morning session of practice on Aug. 2 was not good. Browns punter Reggie Hodges was carted off the field near the end of practice after what appeared to be an injury to his left foot. The Associated Press' Tom Withers reported around 3 p.m. that day Hodges tore his Achilles tendon. The Browns currently do not have another punter on the roster. Last season, Hodges punted 78 times for 3,424 yards (43.9 avg.) and had 29 punts land inside the 20.

oh noooooo

http://cle.scout.com/a.z?s=149&p=9&c=2&cid=1091566&nid=4853197&fhn=1

Cleveland Browns punter Reggie Hodges out for year with torn Achilles
Published: Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 3:02 PM Updated: Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 6:17 PM

Hodges will miss the entire 2011 season.
BEREA, Ohio -- The last thing you'd think the Browns would need this year was a punter.

Think again.

They are trying out punters Wednesday to find a replacement for Reggie Hodges, who is out for the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon during Tuesday's practice. Hodges was the only punter in camp.

The market for veteran punters is very thin after flurry of activity last week saw the signings of Daniel Sepulveda (Pittsburgh), Sav Rocca (Washington), Brad Maynard (Houston) and Matt Turk (Jacksonville). Bay Village native Dave Zastudil, who preceded Hodges as the Browns' punter the previous four years, suffered a slight muscle pull in a tryout with Houston and is currently unavailable.

Coach Pat Shurmur indicated the team may have to bring in an untested rookie punter via tryout and then wait for the veteran market to reopen before settling on a replacement for Hodges.

"We're going to look for the best possible replacement that we can and we're going to quickly address that," Shurmur said after Tuesday afternoon's walk-through. "We'll have some guys in [Wednesday] and try to find the best possible guy we can find at this time, and then we're going to keep searching for the guy that's going to be our punter."

One of those trying out will be Rob Long, whose senior season at Syracuse ended prematurely when he was treated for brain cancer. Long had brain surgery in December and received radiation and chemotherapy for six weeks in January and February. His treatments ended March 2.

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Hodges leaves big shoes to fill. He had a career year in 2010, his first in Cleveland and in the NFL as a team's undisputed punter. Hodges had a gross average of 43.9 yards on 78 punts. His net of 39.0 was ninth in the league and his 29 punts inside the 20 were tied for eighth.

He also had a 68-yard run on a fake punt in the Browns' upset win in New Orleans. It was the team's longest run of the season. He was named AFC special teams player of the week after grossing 48.7 yards on nine punts in a win over Miami, including boomers of 56, 58 and 59 yards. So he had played a big part in two of the Browns' five wins last year.

Prior to the Miami game, Hodges was rewarded with a two-year contract extension -- his first multi-year deal. The Browns were his eighth team in a nomadic NFL career that began in 2005. He spent the next two years out of the league, selling copy machines.

The humble Hodges said of the new contract at the time, "If anything, it turns [the pressure] up even better. They're saying, 'Reggie, you can be our guy.' That just makes me feel like, 'OK, let me get better for you.' [The contract's] an accomplishment, something me and my wife and kids have been striving for, having a little security. But I'll continue to work hard."

Shurmur talked to Hodges after the morning practice.

"He was noticeably disappointed," he said. "I told him in this business, there's times when you get injured. Part of being a pro is fighting back from injury and then getting yourself in a position where you can play once again and I think he's the kind of guy who can get that done."

Long snapper Ryan Pontbriand said he couldn't concentrate the rest of the practice period after watching Hodges go down.

"He was the punter. He was the starter," he said. "We only have one in camp so he's very valuable. He's responsible for turning the field over, giving us momentum, pinning them deep and he was one of the top five, I think, inside the 20 and that's huge on game day."

Hodges also doubled as the holder on Phil Dawson's placekicks. So that's another role that must be filled.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/08/cleveland_browns_punter_reggie_1.html

Here we go again.

This will be a long year.

I predict Sav Rocca as Hodges replacement.

I don't have a problem with people who think it will be a long year because we're not going to be good. Candyman, if that's where you were going, then I apologize.

But if people are complaining because our punter got hurt, then that's just ridiculous. JMHO

I'm pulling for Scott Player.

Scott Player is not a realistic option.

I just want the stache back.

Wow, it just keeps getting better....

Good thing we'll never punt!

cmon all teams go through injuries. part of football.

heck, the Packers lost half their secondary (including Woodson) in the superbowl and still won

I try not to be overly optimistic, but to say 2 wins is just being ridiculous...

I don't remember the particulars beyond "if we win more/less than 3 games" but yes of course we are. I truly believe we're going to be that bad.

isn't Brad Maynard available?

At least it happened early enough where we can try find a decent replacement in time for the season.

Hey I'm a glass is half full type of guy!

Enter Dick McGee.....

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ss..._medium=twitter

CLEVELAND -- The Browns today signed free agent punter Richard McGee, a source told the Plain Dealer. He was waived Monday by the Bears.

McGee spent parts of the last two seasons on the Bears' practice squad. He was a member of the University of Texas' 2005 national championship team, and was originally signed as a free agent by the Eagles in 2008.

McGee (6-4, 203) will replace Reggie Hodges, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Tuesday. McGee was signed after the Browns brought in a number of punter for tryouts.

Our special teams coach must know him as they were both with the Bears at the same time.

And the Eagles drafted him, so Heck knows him as well.