The Browns lost one potential kicker when the Bills signed Dan Carpenter on Monday.
Carpenter had actually landed in Cleveland for a tryout with the Browns, but merely picked up his bags and headed to Buffalo after getting the call from the Bills.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns could have signed Carpenter sight unseen, but that they chose to take a look at Giorgio Tavecchio and Billy Cundiff rather than become the fourth team to employ Carpenter in the last few weeks. Tavecchio lost out to Mason Crosby in Green Bay in the Packers’ kicking competition this summer and has never kicked in a regular season game. Cundiff was cut by the Jets, who then signed Carpenter before ultimately sticking with Nick Folk.
Per Cabot, the team has not scheduled a tryout with Havard Rugland. Rugland, also known as Kickalicious, lost out to David Akers in Detroit despite kicking well this summer. The Browns don’t have a kicker at the moment after cutting both Shayne Graham and Brandon Bogotay in August.