Cody Parkey <> on September 25, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Cleveland Browns needed to find a kicker in a hurry last week after Patrick Murphy was injured in a walk-through. With long-time veteran kicker Robbie Gould just waiting for a call from any team in need of a kicker after being let go by the Chicago Bears, the Browns instead went for former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey.

Parkey was obviously a cheaper alternative for the Browns, but was the idea of the Browns being too cheap to get the best possible kicker they could one that would come back to haunt them on Sunday?

Parkey was just three-for-six on his field goal attempts in a game lost in overtime against the Miami Dolphins. Parkey missed a kick from 46 yards as the clock expired in regulation, leading the game into overtime instead of sending the Browns home with a win. Parkey cost the Browns just $525,000 as opposed to the league minimum of $985,000 that would have been due to Gould.

This led The Miami Herald to suggest the Browns opted for the younger Parkey due to the price tag. It’s an accusation that does make some sense, considering Parkey is hopefully only a short-term replacement for the Browns, but this is the NFL and no win should be avoided because you were not willing to shell out an extra $400,000 for a kicker.

The Browns, of course, deny this being the reason the franchise signed Parkey instead of Gould.

“Money played no role in the decision,” a source close to the Browns reportedly told Ohio.com. “It’s ridiculous to think that it would.”

It is ridiculous to think that would be a part of the equation, but this is the Cleveland Browns we are talking about. Nothing is that ridiculous with this team.

[Ohio.com]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.