–Curiously, the Browns signed rookie kicker Greg Joseph after cutting Zane Gonzalez on Monday. Gonzalez missed two field-goal attempts and two extra points in the second half of the 21-18 loss to the Saints in New Orleans.
Veterans Blair Walsh, Cairo Santos and Giorgio Tavecchio were in Berea for a tryout on Monday. Joseph, who played his college ball at Florida Atlantic, was 3-for-3 on field-goal tries with the Dolphins in preseason.
“We felt real good about his workout,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said. “He did an excellent job. A young player, he has the chance hopefully to be very consistent as we move forward. He has a strong leg obviously, too.
“He fits all the criteria that we’re looking for in a kicker. We feel good about him, and obviously, he has to go do it.”
Gonzalez was in his second season with the Browns. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick was 15 of 20 on field-goal tries last season.
–The Browns ran out of patience with wide receiver Josh Gordon. He showed up late to the team facility on Saturday with a hamstring injury unrelated to football. He did not make the trip to New Orleans.
Later in the day, general manager John Dorsey announced the Browns would release Gordon on Monday.
The announcement prompted about 10 teams to inquire about trading for Gordon. The Browns ended up trading Gordon to the Patriots for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick.
“I think John got the best deal that he could get,” Jackson said. “(Gordon) is gone now, and we’re going to move on and coach the team that’s here. We are going to get ourselves ready to play this Thursday night (against the Jets).”
–Rookie Antonio Callaway replaced Gordon in the starting lineup against the Saints. He responded with a 47-yard touchdown catch to tie the score 18-18 with 1:16 remaining. Veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry hopes that is a preview of what to expect from the fleet fourth-round draft pick from Florida.
“It’s big-boy football, and that’s what we expect out of him to do,” Landry said. “You’re going to hear a lot more out of him this year.”
–The game Thursday night against the Jets is the Browns’ only prime-time game this season. Such is the cost of 10 straight losing seasons. The Browns were last on a Sunday night game in 2008.
BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – Wins for the Browns in the past 55 games, a winning percentage of .072 after starting 2014 with a 7-4 record.
