Browns Trade For Kicker Dustin Hopkins From Chargers, Release Cade York Who They Drafted In Fourth Round Last Year

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The Cleveland Browns drafted kicker Cade York in the 2022 NFL Draft. NFL front offices generally frown upon taking a kicker that early. But if you're going to do it, the kicker better be great. Unfortunately, York was not great. And the Browns traded for veteran Dustin Hopkins from the Los Angeles Chargers and cut York just over a year after his selection.

York connected on just 75% of his field goal attempts during his rookie season and also missed two extra points. So there was a lot of pressure on him during training camp and the preseason to prove that he had the goods.

Except, the pressure only made it worse. York missed half of his field goal attempts in the preseason (4-8) and all of them came from inside of 50 yards.

The Cleveland Browns cut kicker Cade York, who they drafted in the 4th round last year, and traded for Dustin Hopkins from the Chargers.

The Cleveland Browns cut kicker Cade York, who they drafted in the 4th round last year, and traded for Dustin Hopkins from the Chargers. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

On Monday, the Browns executed a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only did the Browns draft a kicker in the fourth round, but now they've traded for a kicker who lost a kicking competition on another team.

The Chargers were going to release Hopkins after Cameron Dicker won the starting kicker job in Los Angeles. But the Browns didn't want to risk trying to get Hopkins that way. So they sent a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chargers.

Doesn't sound like a lot -- and it's not -- but that's two NFL Draft picks used in two years. On kickers. Kickers that lost their jobs.

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Hopkins began last season as the Chargers starting kicker. But he suffered an injury and missed the rest of the season. Dicker performed admirably in his wake and is now the team's starter.

But Hopkins is a career 85% field goal kicker in his nine-year NFL career. He's definitely an upgrade for the Browns.

And his inclusion on the roster over Cade York prompted fans to dig up a tweet that aged very, very poorly.

They tweeted that after Cade York hit a 58-yard game-winning field goal in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.

Just under a year later, York is unemployed.

Which is exactly why you DON'T draft a kicker.