In a move that is as much about insurance as it is about potential, the Cleveland Browns have added a new boot to their special teams roster.
Andre Szmyt, a kicker who has recently displayed his skills in the United Football League with the St. Louis Battlehawks, was signed to the Browns' practice squad, as reported yesterday by News 5 Cleveland. The former Syracuse University standout will wear No. 10, with the Browns releasing DT T.Y. McGill from the practice squad to make room, per the team's Cleveland Browns's official announcement.
The kicker situation in Cleveland, let's say it, has been less than stable.
The Browns' current kicker, Dustin Hopkins, missed a critical point-after try in last Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which only amplified concerns about the kicking unit's reliability.
Though Coach Kevin Stefanski has indicated his willingness to work through Hopkins' technical struggles, the team's decision to bring on Szmyt suggests a less-than-ironclad confidence in the incumbent kicker's ability to rebound.
"I think we have to work through it," Stefanski said, following the game, as noted by The Akron Beacon Journal.
Szmyt, pronounced "Schmidt," has been on the radar since his time at Syracuse and a brief stint with the Chicago Bears in the 2023 offseason.
At 6-0 and 200 pounds, he brings more than just a capable leg; he brings a glint of hope to a Browns team sitting at a grim 3-12 record this season.
Hopkins' inconsistencies have been damaging: over a recent five-game stretch, he missed six of nine field goal attempts, culminating in a break and eventual return that did not quite go as planned.
"Warming up, the swing that I felt Thursday was harder to find Friday, harder to find pregame," Hopkins conveyed his ongoing struggle to find his form, according to The Beacon Journal. He said, "Thought I fixed it, though I found a better-aiming point on the ball, and I took that swing thought into the rep in the game and toed it. Was a little deep on the plant, and obviously wasn't good enough." This succinct confession underscores the perplexity and perhaps frustration within the Browns' field goal unit.
The kicker carousel isn't new to the Browns, who had signed Riley Patterson to their practice squad earlier in December, only to see him signed off by the Atlanta Falcons. Szmyt's arrival signifies, if nothing else, an acknowledgment that a fix, or at the very least, a backup plan, is in urgent demand for a team looking to end their season positively. As the Browns gear up for their final home game against the Miami Dolphins, Szmyt may be a kick away from getting his shot at turning practice squad potential into on-field performance.
