Andrew Berry waited until after the Cleveland Browns‘ final preseason game to give up on Cade York.
But it looks like he is ready to move on to Plan B for the regular season.
NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport announced the Browns will trade for veteran Dustin Hopkins.
Source: Cameron Dicker won the #Chargers kicking job and… Dustin Hopkins is being traded to #Browns.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2023
The deal with the Los Angeles Chargers means the Browns won’t try out kickers.
Hopkins has been kicking for the Chargers and comes to Berea prepared for the regular season.
Los Angeles opted to go with Cameron Dicker in a move that saved the team over $2 million in cap space.
Cleveland sends a 2025 7th-round draft pick to LA in exchange for Hopkins.
Hopkins is not going to cause Kevin Stefanski to change his habits of eschewing long-field goals.
Stefanski’s new kicker owns a career 50% field goal-made rate from 50 yards and longer.
And his 40-plus rate is better, but not automatic at 82%, including 9/10 for the Chargers last season.
Overall, Hopkins is a career 85% field goal kicker (96% inside 40 yards) and 95% on extra points.
Here is Dustin Hopkins kicking a game winning FG. Happy Monday. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/LBfLA2eFNI
— BIGPLAY (@BIGPLAY) August 28, 2023
This will be the 32-year-old’s ninth NFL season and the Browns are officially his third NFL team.
Buffalo drafted the former Florida State product in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
But he made his NFL debut in Washington before going to Los Angeles in the middle of last season.
Cleveland reportedly advised second-year kicker Cade York that he will be released later today.
NEXT: Browns Have Reportedly Made A Final Decision On Cade York
