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BEREA — The second year of Dustin Hopkins kicking for the Browns was not a carbon copy of his first. Not even close, in many ways.
The Hopkins who kicked for Cleveland in the 2023 season was one of the most automatic kickers in the league. He made a career-best 91.7% of his 36 field goals, including all eight from 50 yards or longer.
The Hopkins who kicked for the Browns in the 2024 season was the exact opposite. He made a career-worst 66.7% of his 27 field goals, including just five of his final 11 tries.
Hopkins did make his final three kicks — two field goals and one point-after try. He spoke immediately after the Browns' season-ending loss at the Baltimore Ravens in January about a late-season adjustment made with eyes as much on 2025 as the end of 2024.
"I think as far as thought process on the field, I had to change it up a little bit the last couple of weeks," Hopkins told the Beacon Journal in Baltimore on Jan. 4. "And it seemed like it was beneficial, but it was something I'd never done in game before. So it's just like, I guess, add another thing to the toolbox and you hope that translates into next year. And I was really just trying to finish the year, thinking about trying to build into next year."
Next year has already arrived in some ways. The Browns have conducted half of their 10 voluntary OTA practices, with mandatory minicamp awaiting June 10-12.
That made for a "new year, new you" approach with Hopkins, who was present at both OTAs open to the media. It certainly stood out to special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.
“Yeah, I think with any player, you know, it’s a new season," Ventrone said June 4. "Everything that you’ve done in the past, obviously those things contribute and matter, but we’re clean slate. I feel like he’s in a good space mentally. I think that he has hit the ball well in the spring to this point. Had a nice day yesterday and we’re just gonna keep working it like we have and understand that it’s a process, and we’re gonna get to where we’re going.”
It's critical for the Browns that Hopkins return to a reasonably close version of his 2023 form, with which he was 33-of-36 on field goals and 24-of-26 on PATs. A week before the start of training camp in 2024, they signed him to a three-year, $15.3 million contract extension that is just kicking in this season.
The Browns originally had a second kicker, Andre Szmyt, working alongside Hopkins during the offseason. Szmyt, who was on the team's practice squad in Week 16 of last season, was waived by the Browns on June 4 to make room for wide receiver Jaelen Gill.
For the time being, that further shows the deep faith the Browns have in the 34-year-old kicker despite him making just 18 of 27 field goals and 17 of 20 PATs in 2024.
“Yeah, I think that he’s been consistent in his entire career," Ventrone said. "He really has. He had a great year in ‘23, [then] for whatever reason did not have a great year this past year. And I think that he’s put it to bed, and as long as the player is focused on the task at hand and I think that he’s done that. His preparation, he’s in really good shape. He’s lean, he’s strong. Really don’t see any changes in his kicking mechanics, ball elevation, anything. So, I feel like he’s in a good spot.”
Szmyt was one of two kickers the Browns signed to their practice squad during Hopkins' 2024 struggles. They brought back Riley Patterson, who had kicked after Hopkins' season-ending hamstring injury in 2023, to kick in a Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patterson's arrival came at the peak of Hopkins' troubles. He had missed six of his nine tries over a five-game stretch, including two the previous week in a loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers,
The Browns decided to give Hopkins a week off, which allowed him a chance to mentally reset as much as physically. Ventrone acknowledged the weight of the misses had added up.
“I’m not saying that he wasn’t in a good space mentally," Ventrone said. "But when you’re having that many missed kicks, you know, and the results aren’t coming and you’re working, you’re putting in the time and effort, you can be a little bit inconsistent there relative to the situation.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns feel kicker Dustin Hopkins has 'clean slate' after tough 2024
Continue reading...
The Hopkins who kicked for Cleveland in the 2023 season was one of the most automatic kickers in the league. He made a career-best 91.7% of his 36 field goals, including all eight from 50 yards or longer.
The Hopkins who kicked for the Browns in the 2024 season was the exact opposite. He made a career-worst 66.7% of his 27 field goals, including just five of his final 11 tries.
Hopkins did make his final three kicks — two field goals and one point-after try. He spoke immediately after the Browns' season-ending loss at the Baltimore Ravens in January about a late-season adjustment made with eyes as much on 2025 as the end of 2024.
"I think as far as thought process on the field, I had to change it up a little bit the last couple of weeks," Hopkins told the Beacon Journal in Baltimore on Jan. 4. "And it seemed like it was beneficial, but it was something I'd never done in game before. So it's just like, I guess, add another thing to the toolbox and you hope that translates into next year. And I was really just trying to finish the year, thinking about trying to build into next year."
Next year has already arrived in some ways. The Browns have conducted half of their 10 voluntary OTA practices, with mandatory minicamp awaiting June 10-12.
That made for a "new year, new you" approach with Hopkins, who was present at both OTAs open to the media. It certainly stood out to special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.
“Yeah, I think with any player, you know, it’s a new season," Ventrone said June 4. "Everything that you’ve done in the past, obviously those things contribute and matter, but we’re clean slate. I feel like he’s in a good space mentally. I think that he has hit the ball well in the spring to this point. Had a nice day yesterday and we’re just gonna keep working it like we have and understand that it’s a process, and we’re gonna get to where we’re going.”
It's critical for the Browns that Hopkins return to a reasonably close version of his 2023 form, with which he was 33-of-36 on field goals and 24-of-26 on PATs. A week before the start of training camp in 2024, they signed him to a three-year, $15.3 million contract extension that is just kicking in this season.
The Browns originally had a second kicker, Andre Szmyt, working alongside Hopkins during the offseason. Szmyt, who was on the team's practice squad in Week 16 of last season, was waived by the Browns on June 4 to make room for wide receiver Jaelen Gill.
For the time being, that further shows the deep faith the Browns have in the 34-year-old kicker despite him making just 18 of 27 field goals and 17 of 20 PATs in 2024.
“Yeah, I think that he’s been consistent in his entire career," Ventrone said. "He really has. He had a great year in ‘23, [then] for whatever reason did not have a great year this past year. And I think that he’s put it to bed, and as long as the player is focused on the task at hand and I think that he’s done that. His preparation, he’s in really good shape. He’s lean, he’s strong. Really don’t see any changes in his kicking mechanics, ball elevation, anything. So, I feel like he’s in a good spot.”
Szmyt was one of two kickers the Browns signed to their practice squad during Hopkins' 2024 struggles. They brought back Riley Patterson, who had kicked after Hopkins' season-ending hamstring injury in 2023, to kick in a Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patterson's arrival came at the peak of Hopkins' troubles. He had missed six of his nine tries over a five-game stretch, including two the previous week in a loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers,
The Browns decided to give Hopkins a week off, which allowed him a chance to mentally reset as much as physically. Ventrone acknowledged the weight of the misses had added up.
“I’m not saying that he wasn’t in a good space mentally," Ventrone said. "But when you’re having that many missed kicks, you know, and the results aren’t coming and you’re working, you’re putting in the time and effort, you can be a little bit inconsistent there relative to the situation.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns feel kicker Dustin Hopkins has 'clean slate' after tough 2024
Continue reading...
