Tag: Sam Martin

Broncos insist punter decision did not come down to the money

George Paton said money had “nothing to do” with the Broncos’ decision to keep Corliss Waitman over Sam Martin.

The Denver Broncos had two players competing at punter this summer: Sam Martin (a veteran, expensive option) and Corliss Waitman (a younger, cheaper option).

The Broncos ultimately chose the left-footed Waitman over the right-footed Martin. When the team cut Martin on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the move was made after Martin indicated he would not take a pay cut.

During his post-cuts press conference on Tuesday, general manager George Paton said the decision was not money-motivated.

“It had nothing to do with it,” Paton said. “We picked the best punter for us, Corliss. The punter with the most upside, biggest leg, and money had nothing to do with it.”

Paton said he wished Martin nothing but the best, but Waitman’s powerful left foot was a better option. Paton was impressed with Waitman’s hangtime and direction punting this summer, and his left-footed kicks could give some returners trouble given that most teams have right-footed punters.

Whether the decision was money-motivated or not, the Broncos did save $2.25 million in salary cap space when they cut Martin.

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Buffalo Bills signing punter Sam Martin

The #Bills have a punter:

The Buffalo Bills have an answer at punter.

According to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, the team is signing Sam Martin.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Martin reportedly had a free-agent visit in Buffalo.

Martin was formerly with the Denver Broncos, who kept Corliss Waitman instead.

Per Broncos Wire, Denver asked Martin to take a pay cut. He declined and ended up in the free-agent pool.

Martin’s average salary of $2.35 million made him the 10th-highest-paid punter in the NFL with the Broncos. This year specifically, Martin was set to have the fourth-highest cap hit among punters in the NFL ($2,733,334).

The move also saved the Broncos $2.25M in salary cap space.

Terms of the contract Martin signed in Buffalo have yet to be announced.

Last year, Martin ranked third in the NFL in net punting average at 42.8 yards per punt. He tied for fifth in the league with 28 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Martin is brought in to replace former Bill Matt Araiza. The rookie punter was released on Saturday.

In a corresponding move, the Bills placed wide receiver Marquez Stevenson on injured reserve.

Buffalo cut their initial roster down to 53 players on Tuesday. However, the team did not roster a punter.

Stevenson going to IR frees a spot for Martin. Had Stevenson gone on the injury designation before free agency, his season would have been over. Going onto IR after roster cutdown day means Stevenson can return this season. He suffered a foot injury during training camp.

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Punter Sam Martin has free-agent visit with Bills

Punter Sam Martin has free-agent visit with the #Bills:

(Update: 7:27 p.m.): The Bills have signed Martin, according to NFL Network.

Previous coverage:

The Buffalo Bills hosted punter Sam Martin on a free-agent visit.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the meeting took place on Tuesday.

Martin was formerly with the Denver Broncos, who kept Corliss Waitman instead.

Per Broncos Wire, Denver asked Martin to take a pay cut in order to stay with the team. He declined and ended up in the free-agent pool.

Martin’s average salary of $2.35 million made him the 10th-highest-paid punter in the NFL. This year specifically, Martin was set to have the fourth-highest cap hit among punters in the NFL ($2,733,334).

The move also saved the Broncos $2.25M in salary cap space.

In 2021, Martin ranked third in the NFL in net punting average at 42.8 yards per punt. He tied for fifth in the league with 28 punts inside the 20-yard line.

One thing to note: Martin is a right-footed. The team has preferred lefty kickers in the past.

Earlier this week, the Bills worked out four other punters but have yet to sign anyone.

Buffalo cut their initial roster down to 53 players on Tuesday. However, the Bills have yet to replace rookie Matt Araiza who was released on Saturday.

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Broncos roster cuts tracker: 27 moves on deck for Denver

The Broncos have to make 27 moves before Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline. We will be tracking all of the team’s cuts on this page.

After wrapping up preseason on Saturday, the Denver Broncos now have until Tuesday afternoon to trim the roster from 80 players down to 53. After teams finalize their initial 53-man rosters and make waiver claims, Denver will then build a 16-player practice squad for the 2022 season.

The Broncos have to make 27 moves before the deadline. Fans should note that not all of those moves have to be cuts — Denver could trade away several players, and some players might end up on injury lists.

We will be tracking all of the Broncos’ roster moves on this page over the next two days. Check back for updates.

Denver Broncos Roster Cuts

1. P Sam Martin (source)
2. CB Bless Austin (source)
3. RB JaQuan Hardy (source)
4. ILB Jeremiah Gemmel (source)
5. OL Sebastian Gutierrez (source)
6. CB Donnie Lewis [injury] (source)
7. DL McTelvin Agim (source)
8. OL Zack Johnson (source)
9. WR Darrius Sheppard (source)
10. TE Dylan Parham (source)
11. OL Quinn Bailey (source)
12. QB Josh Johnson (source)
13. DL Jonathan Harris (source)
14. WR Kendall Hinton (source)
15. OL Michael Niese (source)
16. RB Devine Ozigbo (source)
17. DB J.R. Reed (source)
18. LB Kana’i Mauga (source)
19. OL Netane Muti (source)
20. WR Seth Williams (source)
21. TE Eric Tomlinson (source)
22. CB Faion Hicks (source)
23. OLB Jonathan Kongbo (source)
24. CB Ja’Quan McMillian (source)
25. DL Mike Purcel (per team)

Broncos trades

26. OLB Malik Reed to Steelers (source)

Broncos placed on injured reserve

27. WR Brandon Johnson (ankle)

After finalizing their active roster and practice squad, Denver will turn its attention toward a Monday Night Football showdown with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

 

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Broncos to release punter Sam Martin

The Broncos are releasing punter Sam Martin to save salary cap space, according to NFL Network.

The Denver Broncos will release punter Sam Martin after he declined to take a pay cut, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Martin’s average salary of $2.35 million made him the 10th-highest paid punter in the NFL. This year specifically, Martin was set to have the fourth-highest cap hit among punters in the NFL ($2,733,334).

Martin’s release will save the team $2.25 million in salary cap space this season, according to OverTheCap.com.

Martin’s competition at punter this summer, Corliss Waitman, is set to have a cap hit of just $825,000 this year, which is the fifth-lowest at his position.

Former Broncos general manager John Elway gave Martin a three-year, $7.05 million contract in 2020. Martin’s performed well in Denver, but new GM George Paton is finding ways to save cap space, likely due to part to an upcoming extension for quarterback Russell Wilson.

Martin’s release presumably means the team plans to move forward with the left-footed Waitman. Other punters across the league will become available this week (including Brett Kern), but the Broncos seem unlikely to find an option cheaper than Waitman.

Waitman entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of South Alabama with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. He’s spent time with three different teams since then, punting seven times for 365 yards in his career, an average of 52.1 yards per boot.

Martin is the first known cut for Denver this week. The team has to make 27 roster moves to get down to a 53-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

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8 trade candidates for Broncos during roster cuts

The Broncos want to acquire more picks for the 2023 NFL draft. Here are eight players they might consider trading during roster cuts.

Right now, the Denver Broncos only have five picks for the 2023 NFL draft, and general manager George Paton has said the team plans to acquire more.

A great way to collect some extra late-round picks would be by trading players at crowded positions ahead of roster cuts this week.

Here’s a quick look at eight players the Broncos might consider trading in the coming days.

Broncos punter Sam Martin seems to be OK after injury scare

Good news for the Broncos: Sam Martin’s ankle injury does not seem to be serious.

Denver Broncos punter Sam Martin suffered an ankle injury during pre-game warmups before a preseason showdown with the Buffalo Bills over the weekend and he was held out as a precaution.

Fortunately, the injury does not appear to be serious. Martin is expected to return to action when Denver faces the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason finale on Saturday.

“We expect him to punt this weekend,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said before Monday’s practice.

Martin rolled his ankle and could have tried to play through it during a regular-season game, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Broncos special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes said last week that Martin and Corliss Waitman are still competing for the punter job.

“They know how important it is for both of them to get the ball to the numbers and outside of the numbers,” Stukes said on Aug. 18. “They know how important it is [with] hangtime. They know how important it is for us, as far as our coverage, what they need to do. The evaluation process is still ongoing.”

Martin, 33, is entering his 10th season in the NFL. Waitman, 27, is entering his third year in the league.

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Broncos injuries: 3 players injured vs. Bills

Broncos cornerback Michael Ojemudia (elbow) might be sidelined for a few weeks.

The Denver Broncos were stomped by the Buffalo Bills 42-15 in Saturday’s preseason game, and making matters worse, three players left with injuries.

Broncos punter Sam Martin suffered an ankle injury before the game even started.

“I heard about that right before the game, that he was going to be down because of something that happened in warmups,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said after the game. “So I just have to find out more about that and evaluate it.”

If Martin has a serious injury, Corliss Waitman is the next man up to replace him at punter.

On defense, Denver cornerback Michael Ojemudia injured his elbow.

“I know his was an elbow — another dislocated elbow, so we’ll have to see,” Hackett said. “It’s kind of like the Jonas [Griffith] thing, so we’ll have to get a feel for what happens on that.”

Griffith is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a dislocated elbow. Ojemudia might have a similar recovery timeline.

Finally, outside linebacker Malik Reed left the game after being poked in the eye. He said after the game that he’ll be fine.

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Dwayne Stukes downplays possibility of Broncos drafting punter Matt Araiza

Matt Araiza has a big leg, but ST coach Dwayne Stukes hinted at punting on the prospect. What say you?

The first round of the NFL draft concluded Thursday night with the Denver Broncos not making a selection, but, entering the final two days of the draft, the team is loaded with nine picks, so the team, now with Russell Wilson at QB, can truly make luxury picks such as targeting a punter like Matt Araiza.

While a punter can have a major impact in a football game, the modern game is a passing league. So, obviously, scoring points, not playing field position, is the objective. A better goal pertaining to punters is to not have to use them. Newly-hired special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes, speaking to the media about Araiza and his big leg, eluded to punting on the prospect.

“I’ve watched him just like everybody else. Our system is a little bit different,” Stuke said Wednesday. “In our system, we’re not just looking for a guy to bang the ball 50 yards, 60 yards deep. That’s not what we’re doing. When you punt the ball or kick the ball in the middle of the field, you give your opponent more ability to score, whether it’s a kickoff return or a punt return.

“We have certain rules in our system where we would prefer to place the ball somewhere different. Again, that will show on film once we get to the preseason. I don’t want to give away all of our secrets, but yes, to answer your question. I watched him. We have specialists here who can do the same thing though.”

Denver has two punters on the roster: Sam Martin and Corliss Waitman.

Time will be our judge on if the Broncos select Araiza, which would likely occur on Day 3. The team’s first pick is No. 64 overall, while the team totals three picks on Day 2 of the draft on Friday.

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Broncos safety Justin Simmons named second-team AP All-Pro

Justin Simmons earned Pro Bowl alternate and second-team AP All-Pro recognition this season.

Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons has been named to the second-team 2021 All-Pro team voted on by the Associated Press, the newspaper announced Friday.

Simmons (6-2, 202 pounds) totaled 80 tackles, 12 pass breakups, five interceptions and 1.5 sacks in 17 starts this season. He was a key member of Denver’s defense that allowed the third-fewest points in the NFL in 2021.

Kevin Byard (Tennessee Titans) received 41 votes and Jordan Poyer (Buffalo Bills) received 12 votes, earning first-team All-Pro honors at safety this year.

Simmons, Micah Hyde (Buffalo Bills) and Budda Baker (Arizona Cardinals) all received 10 votes, creating a three-way tie for the second-team safety spot, and all three defensive backs made the AP’s reserve roster.

Simmons also earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019, and he made the Pro Bowl last year. Simmons was named an alternate for the Pro Bowl this season.

Besides Simmons, the only other Bronco who received votes this year was punter Sam Martin. He received one vote, far behind AJ Cole (Las Vegas Raiders; 21) and Bryan Anger (Dallas Cowboys; 18).

Martin had a net average of 42.8 yards per punt this season (third-best) and 28 of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line (fifth-best).

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