DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Special Teams-

As we know the Browns Special Teams was not as stellar as it had been in the past. Some of that had to do with Seely going to San Francisco and having a first time coordinator take his place. Some had to do with letting go of Aces such as Castanzo and Sorensen. I also don't believe this regime put as much stock in it as the previous one but that is my own personal opinion. Granted there was limited time to emphasize that but such a noticeable difference I was not expecting. You know it is the off season when I am writng about the Special teams.

Given we have the extra picks this year in the 6th and 7th round it might be a good spot to target maybe a new kicker, punter, Long Snapper combination and maybe a demon. Maynard did great as did Dawson and Yount seemed okay but I think like the rest of the team you need to actively look to get better.

I think we need a Kicker that can consistently take away the oppositions return game. Dawson is a great field goal kicker but I would have to bet that he was at the bottom of the league in Touchbacks. Maynard can't punt forever and who knows how Hodges comes back from Achilles surgery. Richmond Webb..ehh.

We have started a youth movement with the rest of the team and I don't plan on having these extra picks every year. What is everyone's opinion on this unit. Do you think they are looking at new coaches if one becomes available from one of the teams that relieved their staff? I look at San Frans special teams now and I can't help but notice how good they are and remember that's what ours looked like. Do you think any changes will be made? What do you guys think of Cribbs as our returner moving forward?


Walter football
-Quinn Sharp a punter and Kicker could be valuable to have on the team.
Quinn Sharp*, K, Oklahoma State
Height: 6-1. Weight: 189.
Projected Round (2011): 6-FA.
12/16/11: Sharp was a Third-Team All-American selection this season. He has made 20-of-23 field goals. Sharp also served as the Cowboys punter and averaged 47 yards per punt. He has a strong and accurate leg. Sharp could be drafted as a punter or kicker in 2012 or 2013.


- Bryan Anger, P, California
Height: 6-4. Weight: 207.
Projected Round (2011): 6-FA.
12/16/11: Anger has averaged 44.6 yards per punt this season.

8/22/11: Bryan Anger enters the season as the top punter in the nation. Last year, he averaged 45.6 yards per punt in 2010. Anger has a strong leg. In his career, he has 54 punts of longer than 50 yards. Anger also has pinned 71 punts inside the 20 and forced a fair catch on 62 punts. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection for the second consecutive year in 2011. If Anger stays consistent, he should have a grade that will land him in the draft.

Reggie Hodges should be back next year. So I think he's gonna be our punter. We did give him a contract.

But I do think we'll need to look into getting a kicker

We already have a second kicker on the roster and he seems to be pretty legit. His name is Jeff Wolfert.

Also, I don't think we will need to sign/draft a new punter. Reggie Hodges should be back, although Achilles tendon injuries are tough to come back from. I wouldn't be shocked to see both Maynard and Hodges in training camp competing for the starting punting job with the loser being cut.

I don't think he was on our roster until after the season when we signed him to a future contract. We cut him in August and didn't re-sign him till January 3rd.

I think our special teams suffered for one reason. Younger players.

One could argue the shortened offseason played a part, and maybe seely leaving does have some merit, but i think youth is the prime reason.

Take a guy like Mangini...he wanted those special teams demons...he searched these guys out and picked them up. Thats what these guys were on the roster for.

Now in the short term it gives you better special teams, but we have all seen what happens when a starter goes down and those "special teams demons" are forced to start....they are no good...thats why they were let go in the first place.

Then you have the philosophy of the new organization. Draft and develop your young players.

This caused most of the problems, as special teams amount to less plays during the game, but mistakes made by special teams are magnified, and they can cost you games....we've seen it.

The difference is we are developing young players...some of these guys will still be here developing next year and they will make fewer mistakes on special teams...and some of them will even develop into starters down the road.

This team will be making progress when most of the lower picks don't even make the team. That is when we will know we have turned the corner.

Last year sucked in many ways, but it was necessary. Next year there will be fewer young guys forced to play, so there will be fewer mistakes on game day. We may draft a kicker to compete...i doubt we go after a punter with hodges coming back.

Special teams will improve based on experience and repetition. Thats why vets play better than rook's...talent plus experience wins games.

We are attempting to draft talented players....then they have to learn...then they make fewer mistakes because they are vets....

Then we start to see consistency, and we start winning some games...

Exactly. Well put.

Hey Heldawg, this is completely unrelated to the thread but is your signature like the one you had when you were a fan of David Veikune. What was it? DAVID DAVD DAVID Veikune!!!!

Actually ..... once upon a time, a poster named Diam Dawg pimped the hell out of a certain Wide Receiver named David Terrell.

he was quite horrible as a pro.

No one who knows Diam has ever let him live it down.

I know you were in the chat room where I basically had a heart attack when that selection was made.

I almost was sent off the island for that one!

Kick coverage suffered while Cribbs was off the team.

Pontbriand certainly wasn't a younger player, and Mack's foot has been lining up next to him for a couple of years.

Hodges getting hurt, well... hurt.

Actually, some of the young guys really helped out on special teams. Mitchell and Skrine were excellent on KO coverage. Skrine also did his part on punt coverage well.

We had veterans who did their jobs. Mike Adams and Dmitri Patterson, as well as Cribbs the second half of the year, performed well in kick and punt coverage. Ventrone showed up sometimes in his specialized role.

One thing that would help us in kick and punt coverage would be to have fast linebackers on the team. Another thing would be a healthy TJ Ward.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamst

Football Outsiders has us listed as the 10th best ST unit in the NFL for 2011. I like alot of their other stats, but that one really had me scratching my head. We were also ranked 10th in 2010.

i agree....i'm simply stating when you add raw rookie talent, that mistakes will happen. They will then either learn, and become vets....or get replaced and cut.

Three things imo make a good football player...attitude...talent...experience. When one is lacking you lose more battles.

One guy out of place and the protection breaks down and bad things happen. Thats more likely to happen to a rookie, than it is to a vet. Talent can overcome some errors to a point. Bad attitude means you never become as good as you could have.

We've got a young team with some talent. I think we will improve.

from what I can tell off their explanation, we were given alot of credit for Phil Dawson being awesome (his long kicks), a bit of a bump for inclement weather (as it affects the kicking game), and we were one of the best kick returning teams as far as starting field position in the NFL.

punt returns were league average, while punt/kick coverage were below (but not at the bottom).

i don't think they looked at return TDs given up (though they should), FGs that were blocked (just missed) and so those plays stand out more to us as highlighted bad plays.