Browns' Special Teams Coach Chris Tabor Discusses Kickoff Returner & Kicker Competition

This week at rookie minicamp, Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Chris Tabor spoke with the local media about several competitions fans can expect to see this year. Here is a snapshot of what we learned, and what we know from the past:

• Punt Returner: The job is safe and secure with WR Travis Benjamin, says Tabor, who believes that his performance on returns last year was more of a confidence issue coming back from an ACL injury, and that he fully believes in his talent. I had a very minor knee injury a few days ago, and even with the pain pretty much gone after a few hours, it took me about 3-4 days to mentally be ready for going all-out with running again. I can't imagine the mental leap a player has to take when coming back from something as serious as an ACL injury, but being two years removed from the injury has to help.
  
  
• Kick Returner: Based on the sound of things, it seems like WR Marlon Moore will not be the frontrunner to take on the kick return role this year. Instead, rookie RB Duke Johnson is the early candidate to take the job, although Tabor would finally like to see KR Justin Gilbert get a crack at the role too:
  

  Chris Tabor said rookie RB Duke Johnson will be given plenty of reps returning kicks. Tabor is lobbying for Justin Gilbert there, too.

  — Michael McLain (@MichaelMcLain2) May 9, 2015

  
  
• Kicker: The Browns' kicker competition is "wide open" according to Tabor. Cleveland currently has three kickers on the roster -- veteran Garrett Hartley, and and youngsters Travis Coon and Casey Spear. They might bring in different competition depending on how things go this offseason.
  
  
• Punter: Even though he's not a top-tier punter, there has been nothing to indicate that P Spencer Lanning's job is in jeopardy.
  
  
• Long Snapper: At the end of last season, the Browns said that Christian Yount will compete with Charlie Hughlett in 2015.