Browns replace punter

By Mary Kay Cabot

The Plain Dealer

BEREA

The Browns spent their off day Wednesday signing a punter to replace Reggie Hodges, getting No. 1 pick Phil Taylor acclimated and finalizing other roster moves.

Replacing Hodges (torn Achilles) for now is Richmond McGee, who played college football at Texas, where he was a member of the 2005 national championship team. McGee spent time in training camp with the Eagles in 2008 and spent part of the 2009 and 2010 seasons on the Bears practice squad.

He was waived by the Bears on Monday and tried out in Berea on Wednesday. However, the Browns will keep their eyes out for other punters as they become available.

“He was with us in Philadelphia and I know [special teams coach] Chris Tabor had some experience with him in training camp in Chicago last year,” said coach Pat Shurmur on the team’s WKNR radio show Wednesday evening. “He did a nice job today so we’ll bring him in and he’ll be our punter, and just like every position, every guy is out there every day competing to be a Cleveland Brown on Sept. 11.

“He’s the guy right now and we’ll move forward with that.”

The Browns also announced that unrestricted free agent cornerback Dimitri Patterson signed his contract and will be on the field today. The club also signed undrafted free agent linebackers Archie Donald and Eric Gordon, while waiving rookie linebackers Derrick Addai and Alex Wujciak and placing Hodges on injured reserve.

Hodges will undergo surgery and work toward coming back next season.

The club also spent much of the day getting Taylor caught up from his four-day holdout. Taylor signed his four-year contract on Tuesday and took care of some formalities on Wednesday, including passing his conditioning test.

Shurmur said he’s looking forward to getting Taylor on the field today — along with newly-signed free agents practicing for the first time.

Because the free agents were not permitted to take the field until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m., the Browns moved their practice time to 4:10 p.m. and kept it open to the public. Players will have a morning walk-through that’s closed to fans.

“Taylor’s had a busy day catching up on the playbook as well as getting himself a little bit of a workout so that [Thursday] isn’t his first opportunity,” Shurmur said. ‘We’ll be in helmets and spider pads. We want him to run around and get his sea legs before we put him in pads.”

Shurmur said he won’t waste time “punishing” Taylor for holding out four days before signing his guaranteed $8.1 million deal.

“It’s important we get him going immediately, get him practicing,” Shurmur said. “We’re pushing him and working him hard.”