Browns bring back one of their former draft busts

4th round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Cade York was cut last year

For all NFL teams, the NFL draft is a crapshoot. Picks that look like no-brainers turn out to be busts. Picks that looked like reaches or surprises turn out to be great decisions.

Unfortunately for Cleveland Browns fans, years and years of bad drafting have made it feel like their team can just never get it right. Under GM Andrew Berry, the Browns have been a little better at drafting but there are still some huge misses.

One of those was selecting K Cade York in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

York was seen as a “can’t miss” kicking prospect with a big leg and a history of hitting in big games. Selecting a kicker before the sixth or seventh round is often looked down upon but Berry had acquired extra picks and took a chance on what looked like their kicker of the future.

Instead, York struggled as a rookie making just 75% of his kicks and missing two extra points. Things didn’t improve in his second training camp, with a new special teams coordinator, so Cleveland traded for Dustin Hopkins and released York.

York was expected to return to the Browns practice squad but, instead, signed on with the Tennessee Titans practice squad before joining the New York Giants. York didn’t kick in an NFL game last season and now will return to Cleveland:

York still has a big leg but foundational issues with his plant foot and, seemingly, issues with the mental aspect of the game after repeated failures as a pro are still concerns.

Hopkins enters the year at the top of the depth chart but is in the final year of his contract. Teams always have multiple kickers during training camp so bringing back York is unrelated to Hopkins.

Are you surprised the Browns wanted York back? Are you surprised York wanted to return?