Marlon Moore replaces Travis Benjamin as kick returner

Marlon Moore has replaced Travis Benjamin as the Browns’ primary kick returner.
Special teams coach Chris Tabor made the decision to make Moore first on the depth chart, though he says he still believes in Benjamin. Benjamin has four returns for 85 yards. His longest return is 28 yards.
Moore returned one kick 32 yards last week against the Saints. He did not play in the first game because he was serving a one-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy before signing with the Browns. Moore returned six kicks in preseason for 197 yards — a 32.8 average. He had a long return of 52 yards.
“He did some great things for us in the preseason and deserved that opportunity,” Tabor said on Sept. 18. “Travis’ role expanded a little bit offensively, so we took a little off his plate there. But Travis Benjamin will still also return kicks for us this season.”
Benjamin suffered a torn ACL on a punt return against the Chiefs last year. He said he’s 100 percent and Tabor said he hasn’t detected any hesitation from Benjamin. But Benjamin has fair-caught five of seven punts. As a wide receiver, he has three catches for 26 yards.
“It’s just a depth chart to me,” Moore said after practice. “Outside looking in it means a lot, but inside this locker room, we know all the talent we have, so somebody has to be first on the depth chart.”
Kickers routinely boot the ball five yards or more into the end zone. A kick returner could have a 27-yard return average but still leave the ball for the offense inside the 20. Moore said a returner has to make a split-second decision while the ball is in the air.
“I want to take it out every time,” Moore said. “You have to take into consideration your team. That could be a selfish play if you want to make it that way. You could take it out 8, 9 yards deep and get tackled on the 15 and put your offense in a bad field position.
“Everybody wants to get across that 20. That’s my goal every time. If it’s 8, 9 deep, you really have to assess the situation. Is the ball in the air long? Is it a line drive so you can just catch it and go and catch the kick (coverage) team off guard? A lot goes into it.”
The Browns need a boost on their kick returns. Their average starting position is the 16.9-yard line — second-worst in the league. Arizona is last at 13.6. The Browns started inside the 20 four times. Benjamin returned kicks to the Cleveland 25, 14, 18 and 9 in the season opener.
Cameron ‘very limited’
Tight end Jordan Cameron will likely miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury. He was listed as “limited” on Sept. 18 injury report, but offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said Cameron was “very limited.”
“I think it can go either way,” Shanahan said. “Really, in my mind, it’s the same as last week. I’m definitely hoping he can be ready. You’ve got to have some stuff available for him, but when a guy is limited on a Thursday, you know there’s no guarantee. You can’t game-plan all around him.”
Cameron said the same thing he did the previous day. He will wake up and see how it feels.
If he rests the shoulder against the Ravens, he will have another week to rest it because the Browns are on their bye Sept. 28.
“I want to play. But if I can’t, I won’t,” Cameron said. “We still have a lot of season left. We have 13 more games and hopefully more.”
Linebacker Barkevious Mingo was also limited with a shoulder injury. Running back Ben Tate (knee) did not practice.


(news-herald.com)