Getty Images Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
The Cleveland Browns are expected to be with punter Jamie Gillan this week against the Baltimore Ravens after he landed on the COVID-19 reserve list Thursday, leaving the team in desperate need of a specialist on short notice.
Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said he has a “short list” of available veterans and the team will put in some expedited work to get a new punter in the building to prepare for Sunday’s game.
“We are working through it. We have had a short list,” Priefer told reporters on Thursday. “We always have a short list in case we have an injury or if anything happens. [GM] Andrew [Berry] and his staff are working through that right now.”
#Browns placing both punter Jamie Gillan and linebacker Anthony Walker on the COVID-19 list. TE David Njoku already on there.
Another problem with Gillan being out of the lineup is that he also serves as the team’s holder on the kicks. It’s not unheard of for a backup quarterback to be the team’s holder, although Priefer appears to be leaning toward signing a punter who also has holding experience rather than Case Keenum.
“If we sign a punter who has holding experience, we would probably go with the punter. It just depends on who it is. I trust Case as a holder, but he does not have the experience that a lot of these guys do,” Priefer said. “Even if they are [signed] off of the street, they have been a holder in their career. We will get him in here, and hopefully, we will work on it tomorrow and go from there.”
Priefer said the worst-case scenario would be the Browns’ kicker, Chase McLaughlin, serving as the emergency punter.
“All of these guys punted in high school or kicked in high school,” Priefer said. “They always back each other up.”
Gillan Was Off to Rough Start This Season
Gillan won the job as an undrafted rookie 2019, beating out veteran incumbent Britton Colquitt. However, “The Scottish Hammer” did not start his year off on the best foot, failing to flip the field with his kicks and making a couple of costly mistakes in big spots.
Gillan has somewhat recovered from the slow start, averaging 43.9 yards per punt — the worst number of his career. He’s landed just 15 punts inside of the 20-yard line.
The lasting memory for Browns fans this year was a dropped punt against the Chiefs in Week 1 that really shifted the momentum of the game late.
“I just dropped it. A massive mistake. I cost that game,” Gillan explained on September 17. “The whole point of our position is to be a weapon and to help out the team, and obviously, there I did not. Things happen, right? That has not changed my outlook in practice, my personality or anything. I am still this happy go lucky, likes a plant or two person. Just had a fun week, and to be honest with you, I am really happy this happened Week 1 – trying to find the silver lining in every cloud. It made it kind of like a reset button. I can’t punt the ball without catching it so I better catch it next time.”
LB Anthony Walker Also Unlikely to Play
Another significant casualty for the Ravens is veteran starting linebacker Anthony Walker, who joins Gillan on the reserve list. Walker is the Browns leading tackler and one of the most consistent pieces on the defensive side of the ball. If Walker is unable to go, they’ll turn to a more than capable veteran in Malcolm Smith.
“Malcolm is a veteran. He has played a long time in this league and in this system for us on and off based on injuries,” defensive coordinator Joe Woods said, “I am very comfortable regardless of the situation.”
Both Gillan and Walker would need to produce negative tests 24 hours apart to be activated by the 4 p.m. deadline on Saturday.