Cleveland Browns Special Teams Thoughts Headed Into Season

The Cleveland Browns had effective coverage units in 2019 and they are bringing back almost everyone from those units, but have added a punt returner, which ups the expectations for this group.

For all the roster moves the Cleveland Browns have made since last season and bringing in a new general manager and head coach, the special teams has experienced a significant amount of continuity.

In addition to returning Austin Seibert, Jamie Gillan and Charley Hughlett for the kicking and punting operation, the featured members of an effective coverage unit from last year are back including Tavierre Thomas, KhaDarel Hodge and Tae Davis. The only real change has been adding Jojo Natson as the team's punt returner.

Mike Priefer, the special teams coach, was retained from last year's staff and it seems as though many of these players were hand picked by him. Thomas and Hughlett are the only player that predate last year's team.

With such a level of continuity on special teams, a group that covered well last year, the expectation is that will carry over into 2020. Beyond the fact that the Browns return game last year was medocre, the fact they  are keeping Natson specifically to improve their punt return comes with some expectations.

The Browns averaged 7.1 yards per punt return last year on 23 attempts. They also fair caught 16 and their long was just 18 yards. Natson's first season with the New York Jets was awful, but in 2018, he averaged 10.7 yards per return and 7.8 yards in 2019. Natson had a 35 yard return in 2019 and a 60 yard return in 2018, so he's clearly demonstrated the ability to give the offense a short field.

His 9.5 yard average over the past two seasons is what a team wants in a punt return. The goal on any punt return is to get what amounts to be a free first down, getting 10 yards. Five teams were able to average 9.7 yards per punt return or more last year.

1. Indianapolis Colts - 17.2 (Nyheim Hines returned 9 punts for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns)

2. New York Jets - 11.4

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - 9.8

4. New York Giants - 9.8

5. Houston Texans - 9.7

Natson has shown the capability to average around 10 yards per return, so as long as he's close, the Browns are getting their roster spot's worth with Natson. If they are short of that, it becomes a questionable investment.

Is that pressure? Maybe, but I have to think Priefer has the same expectations. If Natson can't do it, the team may make the move to Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Everyone marvels at Jamie Gillan's ability to drive the ball down the field. When he gets a hold of a punt, he can drive it 60 yards pretty easily. Entering his second year in the league, it's entirely about consistency.

There was no competition for the job this year. It's been his the whole way, so he had the ability to truly focus on details of his job. Gillan had some great games and some outstanding punts in 2019, but he also had some ugly shanks. If he can become a consistent punter in terms of depth and hang time, he has a chance to be a Pro Bowl level player.

Austin Seibert had a successful rookie season, making 25 of 29 field goals. Inside of 40 yards, he was 9 of 9, but he missed five of his 35 extra points, which is not ideal. On kicks over 40 yards, he was 10 of 14, which is pretty good.

Seibert was an effective place kicker, but he was really effective on kickoffs. The Browns are a team that doesn't just send kick offs out of the back of the end zone, trying to pin a returner inside the five, forcing a return and the Browns coverage units were really effective. As a result, there were a number of situations where opponents started drives inside their own 25.

If the Browns are just able to maintain the same level they had out of the kicking and punting units, they will be an effective coverage unit. Should Gillan become more consistent as a punter and Seibert make a few more kicks, they become that much better. In the event Jojo Natson can deliver around 10 yards per punt return, the Browns have a fully functioning special teams unit that is consistently doing their part to put the Browns in a position to win football games, which should make a difference in the win column.