Tag: punters

Packers sign All-XFL punter Daniel Whelan

The Packers signed P Dan Whelan, an All-XFL pick who spent part of last year with the Saints.

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The Green Bay Packers signed punter Daniel Whelan on Wednesday.

Whelan, an Ireland native, averaged 44.0 yards per punt and placed 86 punts inside the 20-yard line over a decorated five-year career at UC-Davis featuring three All-Big Sky selections. As a redshirt senior in 2021, he led the FCS in punting average (46.3 yards).

This year, Whelan (6-6, 227) was named the All-XFL punter after averaging 45.6 yards per punt and placing 11 of his 29 punts inside the 20-yard line for the D.C. Defenders. Only two of his 29 punts resulted in a touchback.

In the XFL title game, Whelan averaged 52.7 yards per punt over three punts, with two inside the 20-yard line and a long of 64.

PFF ranked Whelan as the highest-graded punter during the XFL season. He was second in net punting and first in average hangtime.

Whelan spent part of training camp with the New Orleans Saints last season.

Signing Whelan gives the Packers two punters on the roster. Can Whelan push veteran Pat O’Donnell for a roster spot? The Packers now have at least two specialists — see: competition — at all three special teams positions.

The Packers also announced other roster moves: offensive lineman DJ Scaife was claimed from the Dolphins and cornerback Benjie Franklin was waived.

Alabama football all-time roster: Coaches, kickers and specialists

See which coaching and special teams legends made the cut in our all-time Alabama football roster.

In the final installment of Roll Tide Wire‘s all-time roster series, we take a look at some of the best special teams players and coaches in Alabama’s history.

The Crimson Tide program is unique from others in that there are multiple all-time greats at numerous positions on the field, and coaches on the sideline. Two of college football’s greatest coaches came through Tuscaloosa.

Though it was a daunting task and not all fans will be content with how things shook out, here’s the all-time roster for Alabama’s coaching staff and special teams.

See Ohio State’s all-time offense and all-time defense. 

Check out our other College Wire all-time lineups:  Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin

Dave Toub details Chiefs’ punting competition between Tommy Townsend, Tyler Newsome

What is Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub looking for in his new punter?

If there is one position truly up for grabs for the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2020 offseason, it’s the punter position.

The Chiefs recently said goodbye to longtime punter Dustin Colquitt and with that decision comes a new punter battle in Kansas City. The Chiefs brought in free agent punter Tyler Newsome ahead of the 2020 NFL draft. They also signed their top-rated punter, Tommy Townsend, as an undrafted free agent following the draft.

“The kid’s got a lot of talent,” Toub said of Townsend during Tuesday’s media availability. “We really liked him coming out. I had him rated as the best punter coming out this year and he was available for us, and those guys got it done to get him. So that was a pretty good deal.”

Toub has been with Colquitt for the last seven seasons, so what is he looking for out of a new punter? Right now, it appears he’s just looking forward to a good competition between the two players in Kansas City.

“The No. 1 thing is, it is going to be a true competition,” Toub said. “There’s nobody really out in front right now as we look at it. I like them both. They’ve both got really strong legs, really powerful legs. They consistently hit over 5.0 [second] hang times, which is impressive. Tommy [Townsend] is a little [cleaner] in his technique as far as consistency, whereas Tyler [Newsome] is a little more erratic. But the results are the same. They both bomb the ball. We just need to clean Tyler up a bit more. But I’ll tell you what, the competition is going to be real fun.”

It sounds like Townsend is a bit ahead of Newsome early on in the process, but keep in mind that Toub hasn’t had an opportunity to coach these players hands-on yet. In lieu of the ability to work with the coaching staff, Harrison Butker and James Winchester are taking a role in developing the new punters, videotaping all the work they’re currently doing together.

“Right now, we’re kind of fortunate because those guys can get together and kick and work on the operation and they can do that on their own,” Toub explained. “So, we can work our skillset whereas to play football, you need 22 guys out there. It’s good for us at this time to be able to do those kinds of things. We just can’t sit down and meet face-to-face and I can’t be out there watching them, that’s the unfortunate thing. They video everything they do, and they send it to me, and we talk about it virtually. Yeah, it’s going to set us back a little bit because during this time of the year is when you’re working fundamentals with everybody else, and that’s going to be set back. But everybody’s in the same boat, we’re just going to have to hit the ground running when we do get to camp, or when we all get together.”

While the punting competition is currently taking place in the virtual space, rest assured that it won’t really kick-off until these players can get in front of their position coach. That’s when the real fun will begin.

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Falcons 2020 roster breakdown: Special Teams

Younghoe Koo and Ryan Allen brought stability to the Falcons’ special teams situation after poor performance and injuries slowed the group down over the first half of the 2019 season.

Younghoe Koo and Ryan Allen brought stability to the Falcons’ special teams situation after poor performance and injuries slowed the group down over the first half of the 2019 season.

Josh Harris was the model of stability throughout the year regardless of who was kicking, holding or punting. The team has some decisions to make as we enter the 2020 offseason.

After breaking down Atlanta’s quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, defensive backs, defensive line and linebackers, let’s examine the special teams units.

2019 Depth Chart and Results

K Younghoe Koo 

23-for-26 on field goals, 15-for-16 on extra points, onside kick specialist

K Matt Bryant

9-for-14 on field goals, 14-for-15 on extra points

P Ryan Allen

28 punts, 1,172 yards, 37.5 net average, 14 inside 20

P Matt Bosher

9 punts, 377 yards, 36.7 net average, 2 inside 20

P Matt Wile

6 punts, 290 yards, 44.7 net average, 3 inside 20

P Kasey Redfern

9 punts, 371 yards, 36.9 net average, 3 inside 20

Current 2020 Contracts

LS Josh Harris

Signed through 2021 on a veteran minimum salary each year.

Pending Free Agents: What Happens?

K Younghoe Koo

Exclusive Rights Free Agent

This one is an easy call. Koo was an exceptional kickoff guy and did a great job once he had a chance as a kicker. His range is limited to inside of 50, but he only had three misses on his 26 chances. That’s a 90 percent conversion rate. The Falcons could do worse than Koo on a second-year player’s minimum salary deal. This is the definition of low risk, high reward.

P Matt Bosher

Unrestricted Free Agent

Matt Bosher had an average of 41.9 yards per punt before his injury. The problem with keeping Bosher is that his leg looks like it’s finally starting to regress. Atlanta should be happy for the nine years they got out of Bosher and let him walk to another team. He seemingly had a down year in terms of total average, but his career average is closer to 46 yards per punt.

P Ryan Allen

Unrestricted Free Agent

On the flip side, Ryan Allen was one of the best punters the Falcons have had in terms of directional punting and pinning teams deep. On his 28 punts, 14 of them landed inside of the 20 yard line (50 percent). For comparison, even in Bosher’s best season, he had a 47 percent rate during in 2016 and punts inside the 20 just 39 percent of the time.

Possible Cuts

There likely won’t be any cuts in this positional grouping. The Falcons get back a consistent long snapper in Josh Harris at the veteran minimum for his position. They aren’t hurting for $400,000 the way some teams are and would be wise to keep the veteran long snapper.

Free Agents to Consider

K Nick Folk

Nick Folk has had a better career than Younghoe Koo to this point. But Folk is clearly on the downward slide. He did well with the Jets, but failed out in Tampa. That being said, it looked like he got his confidence back in New England after taking 2018 off. Folk connected on 82 percent of his kicks with the Patriots while being perfect on extra points.

P Lachlan Edwards

The Falcons could look towards Lachlan Edwards in free agency. His career average of 45.5 yards per punt is in the top half of the league.

2020 NFL Draft targets

K Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia

Blankenship is a local Georgia talent who went to Sprayberry High School in Marietta growing up. He’s got massive power in his leg and can be an exceptional kickoff talent in the NFL based on his college results. He also has the power in his leg that Younghoe Koo doesn’t seem to have. There is some concern about his percentage falling year to year, though.

P Drue Chrisman, Ohio State

If the Falcons decide to forgo a punter in free agency, looking towards someone in the late rounds of the draft like Drue Chrisman would be a smart move. He averages over 44 yards per punt nearly every year up in the mid-west. Chrisman should see better averages in the pros in while playing more domes.

Out-of-Box Move to Consider

Trading for K Daniel Carlson from the Raiders

While it’s unlikely the Raiders would want to trade away Carlson, he’s the best option to go after. He has three more years of controllable cheap play and would fit in well with the Falcons. Unfortunately, the value wouldn’t be better for Carlson than it is for Koo. Carlson only hit 19 of his 26 attempts and missed two extra points.

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News: Byron Jones to stay or go, Cowboys comp pick scenarios

Also, Jerry Jones wants to “make a splash” at the 2020 Draft, Dez Bryant wants to come “home,” and a look at college’s top wide receivers.

Byron Jones was a hot topic on Thursday. One outlet is imploring the Cowboys to re-sign him, while another says it’s time to let him go. A radio guy out West thinks he knows where Jones will wind up, and a draft expert makes a guess on what Dallas will do to fill the void Jones leaves behind.

Meanwhile, two of Jones’s defensive back mates just got hefty raises, DeMarcus Lawrence ranks toward the top of his class even without sacks, and Dez Bryant’s touchdown stats make a case for him coming “home.” All that, plus looking ahead to the draft with wide receivers, backup quarterbacks, and punters. That’s right: punters. We’re hitting all the News and Notes this time out.

NFL free agency: 9 guys who MUST be re-signed by current team :: NFL.com

Two members of the Cowboys make this list of free agents who must be retained. One of them is obvious: quarterback Dak Prescott. The other one, surprisingly, isn’t wide receiver Amari Cooper. Instead, it’s cornerback Byron Jones. It has felt for quite some time that Jones wouldn’t be returning to Dallas, as the team has its hands full with contracts coming due.

Adam Schein posits that Jones should be a higher priority than Cooper, though opinions differ widely there. The Cowboys offense has been a different animal with a true No. 1 receiver in the fold; finding someone to fill his shoes seems a difficult ask.

–TT

Cowboys free agents most likely to depart: Byron Jones is talented, but Dallas has other roster needs to address :: Dallas Morning News

On the other side of the Jones coin is this argument from Calvin Watkins, who says the numbers simply don’t add up in a way that keeps him in the silver and blue. Yes, Jones was the team’s best corner in 2019, missed only one tackle all season, and often forced opposing passers to look elsewhere with their throws.  But with zero interceptions logged, the $12 million average salary, or more, Jones will likely command is just too much buck for not nearly enough bang.

–TB

2021 Compensatory Draft Picks: 14 Cowboys most likely to qualify :: CowboysWire

In a few weeks’ time, Dallas will officially be awarded a fifth-round compensatory pick for losing Cole Beasley in 2019 free agency. Meanwhile, Dallas’ group of 25 unrestricted free agents means that there will be an abundance of opportunities to earn extra picks in the 2021 draft, if they play their cards right.

This is a look at how comp picks are awarded, how teams can play the game based on when they sign qualifying free agents, and a breakdown of the 14 Cowboys prospects who should qualify for the formula, and a prediction on what salaries they will see in free agency, hence what round draft pick they’d be worth.

–KD

Rumor Mill: Broncos poised to make Cowboys’ CB Byron Jones ‘top target’ in free agency :: Mile High Huddle

So where might Jones wind up? There’s buzz that the Broncos could be among the active suitors courting the former first-round pick. According to a tweet from tapped-in Denver radio host Cecil Lammey, “There have been rumblings since the Senior Bowl” that Jones could be a “top target” for Vic Fangio’s staff. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is potentially on the outs in Denver, making a young talent like Jones a valuable asset for GM John Elway to consider pursuing.

–TB

Tony Pauline Mailbag: Are the Dallas Cowboys planning ‘a big splash’ in the NFL Draft? :: ProFootballNetwork

And if Jones does depart, where do the Cowboys turn at cornerback? Tony Pauline has a theory. He says team owner Jerry Jones “wants to make a big splash in the draft,” according to one team insider. Trading up from the 17th pick to select Ohio State corner Jeffrey Okudah- the highest-rated defensive player not named Chase Young- would certainly qualify.

With Byron Jones perhaps already packing his bags and former Cowboys corner Morris Claiborne now wearing a Super Bowl ring that he earned with the Chiefs, the Dallas brass may feel the time is right to shore up the CB spot in a big way.

–TB

The NFL’s top 10 DEs entering 2020: Where does Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence rank among the best? :: Dallas Morning News

Spoiler alert: Lawrence is, in fact, among the best in the business at edge rusher. But he doesn’t place as high as Cowboys fans would like, especially after signing a record contract last offseason.

In Lawrence’s case, though, sacks (or a lack thereof in 2019) don’t tell the whole story. His run-stop percentage, pressures despite a high double-team rate, and elite scores in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate metric- all while coming off a major shoulder surgery- prove that Lawrence not only deserves his top-10 status… but could easily surpass it in 2020.

–TB

Defensive backs Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis will receive raises :: CowboysWire

Thanks to the proven-performance escalator available to players drafted in the third through seventh rounds, Woods and Lewis will earn an extra $1.5 million (or so) in 2020, according to Todd Archer. The big-time bump comes after both players logged more than 35 percent of the snaps on average in their first three seasons.

As per Over The Cap, Woods made $645,000 last year; Lewis earned $675,000. Both will see their take-home jump to $2.14 million next season.

–TB

2020 NFL Draft Digest No. 3: Incredible wide receiver group could reinforce Cowboys offense :: The Athletic

Just three wide receivers averaged one catch per game for the Cowboys in 2019. Reliable depth at the position, then, is a legitimate concern. And with Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb currently out of contract, it’s no stretch to think that, depending on how things unfold, Dallas could be looking long and hard at bringing in a rookie target for Dak Prescott, maybe even in the first round.

Bob Sturm breaks down Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs, and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault. Of that bunch, the top grade ultimately goes to the “scary” player who plays with “lots of nitro” and managed to put up All-American credentials with a different quarterback in each of his three seasons. (That theoretically means he’d excel out of the blocks with Prescott and then somehow get even better as their chemistry develops.)

–TB

Dez Bryant misses scoring TDs, will he get chance to flash again ? :: Cowboys Wire

“That’s home,” Dez Bryant told Fox 4’s Mike Doocy this week when asked about his wish of a return to the Dallas Cowboys. “I miss scoring touchdowns.”

The numbers indicate that Bryant has been among the best at it over the past decade. His TD-catch rate from inside the 20-yard-line is seventh among all players over that span, and among players with 100 red zone targets, he ranks third. Of the top 11 pass-catchers listed, Bryant is the only wide receiver; the rest are tight ends. He has been positively lethal… but will the Cowboys offer him the chance at a killer comeback?

–TB

The Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback position needs to be addressed :: The Landry Hat

A Dak Prescott holdout over his contract situation would immediately thrust his understudy into the spotlight. But even with Prescott locked in on the payroll, the backup QB is always one nasty hit away from suddenly being The Guy. (Dallas and Prescott know this all too well.)

So, Cowboys Nation, how are you feeling about Cooper Rush taking the reins? The team signed Northwestern alum Clayton Thorson to a reserve/futures contract, but Angel Torres suggests that Dallas might be well served to look to another proven SEC passer to be Prescott’s reliever. Georgia’s Jake Fromm is no stranger to big games; he led the Bulldogs to a Rose Bowl, two Sugar Bowls, and a National Championship in three college seasons.

–TB

Five college punters to know in the 2020 NFL draft class :: Blogging the Boys

Don’t laugh; the punt game is suddenly a sore spot for the Cowboys after Chris Jones finished dead last in the league in yards per punt in 2019. With John Fassel now on the staff in Dallas, there’s bound to be turnover among the specialists. And while there are always journeyman legs to be found before camp, the team may choose to utilize a late-round draft pick on a talented collegiate.

On this list of field-flippers is a punter who set an NCAA record in 2019 for most yards per punt in a game (five or more attempts). He averaged 63 yards per punt in that game; three of his five punts were in the 60-yard neighborhood, and one traveled a whopping 75 yards.

–TB

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