Tag: special teams

Packers bring back several core special teams players this offseason

In addition to two big free agent additions this offseason, the Packers re-signed several core special teams players for the 2024 season.

In addition to the big free agent splashes the Green Bay Packers made by signing Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs, general manager Brian Gutekunst has also brought back several of the team’s core special teams contributors.

The most recent re-signing made by the Packers was to bring back Eric Wilson. In 2023, Wilson would lead the Packers in total special teams snaps with 308, and over the last two seasons, he had the most tackles as well with 25.

Corey Ballentine’s special teams role was a bit reduced last season at times because he was starting defensively. However, when that wasn’t the case, he was a special teams starter across four different phases.

Linebacker Kristian Welch was solely a special teams player in 2023, totaling the fourth-most snaps on the team, recording the sixth-highest PFF grade among Packers’ players, and totaling the third-most tackles.

Tyler Davis would miss the entire 2023 season with an ACL injury that he sustained in the preseason. This was a loss that Rich Bisaccia referred to as it being like the special teams unit lost its right hand. In 2022, Davis led the team in special teams snaps, starting on five different phases while finishing fourth in tackles.

Lastly, two-time All-Pro return man Keisean Nixon was signed to a three-year deal to return to the Packers. For the second year in a row, Nixon led the NFL in kick return yards and ranked third in yards per return. With Jayden Reed holding a prominent role on offense, we could potentially see Nixon’s role as a punt returner expanding in 2024.

In Bisaccia’s first season at the helm of the special teams unit in 2022, we saw the Packers jump from being ranked 32nd in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings to 22nd. However, this unit took a step backward in 2023.

Overall, the Packers ranked 29th last season in Gosselin’s rankings. Due to the ups and downs experienced on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball throughout the season, the Packers’ special teams woes seemed to fly under the radar. However, this was a unit that battled inconsistency, at times couldn’t get out of its own way, and had the second-most penalties in football.

These special teams-centric offseason additions are a somewhat new approach for the Packers that began when Bisaccia arrived in Green Bay in an effort to turn this unit around. Previously, special teams was more of an afterthought with special teams-specific roles filled by fringe roster players.

Nixon, of course, has a path to contribute as a starting nickel cornerback, but his presence won’t stop the Packers from trying to bolster that position in the draft, either. Wilson, Ballentine, and Davis could be called upon to contribute on defense or offense if needed, but ideally, their primary roles will come on special teams—that is main reason why they are in Green Bay.

During this part of the offseason, re-signing players like Ballentine, Welch, and Davis can go somewhat unnoticed, but they are important when it comes to building out roster depth and elevating competition within position groups, with all three potentially playing a crucial role on special teams.

This is a Packers team with high expectations entering 2024. With what should be a very good offense and hopefully have an improved defense, the special teams unit doesn’t have to be the best in football by any means for the Packers to be successful. But they have to be better than what they were in 2023 if this team is going to reach its ultimate goal.

Here are Wil Lutz’s contract details with the Broncos

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz will have a salary cap hit of $2.86 million in 2024.

After initially agreeing to a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, kicker Wil Lutz changed his mind and returned to the Denver Broncos on a two-year deal instead. Terms of his contract with the Broncos are now known.

Lutz’s two-year deal has a total value of $8.4 million. He received a $3.3 million signing bonus that will be prorated as $1.65 million salary cap hits over the next two years.

This season, Lutz will have a base salary of $1.21 million (guaranteed). That salary combined with Lutz’s prorated signing bonus will give the kicker a total salary cap hit of $2.86 million in 2024.

Next year, Lutz’s base salary will increase to $3.635 million (not guaranteed), and he can earn an additional $255,000 through per-game roster bonuses. Those two figures combined with Lutz’s prorated signing bonus will give him a total salary cap hit of $5.54 million in 2025.

If the Broncos want to get out of Lutz’s contract next year, releasing him would result in a $1.65 million “dead money” cap charge with a net savings of $3.89 million. The 29-year-old kicker is entering his second season in Denver.

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Broncos kicker Wil Lutz backs out of 3-year deal with Jaguars

After initially agreeing to a three-year deal with the Jaguars, Wil Lutz backed out of the agreement to return to the Broncos instead.

Story update: After initially agreeing to a three-year deal with the Jaguars, Wil Lutz backed out of that agreement and decided to return to the Broncos on a two-year deal instead. See our original post below. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with Denver Broncos pending free agent kicker Wil Lutz, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal will not become official until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday.

After cutting Brandon McManus last spring, Broncos coach Sean Payton traded a seventh-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in the summer to acquire Lutz (he’s one of many former Saints who reunited with Payton in Denver).

Ironically, Lutz will now replace McManus in Jacksonville. McManus, 32, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.

Because part of his contract was still being paid by New Orleans, Lutz was a relative bargain for the Broncos in 2023 with a $1.25 million salary.

Lutz (29) struggled early in the 2023 season, missing a field goal and an extra point attempt in Week 1, but he bounced back to finish the year 30-of-34 (88.2%) on field goal attempts and 29-of-31 (93.5%) on extra point attempts.

Lutz has converted 85.2% of his field goal attempts and 97.2% of his extra point attempts in his career. The veteran kicker spent seven years with the Saints before landing in Denver last year. His career long is 60 yards.

In addition to seeking a quarterback, the Broncos now also need a new kicker. We are tracking all of Denver’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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Chiefs re-sign long snapper James Winchester

The #Chiefs re-signed long snapper James Winchester on Monday just after the legal tampering period of free agency opened.

The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly agreed to terms on a new contract for long snapper James Winchester.

News of the move came just after the NFL’s legal tampering period of free agency opened on Monday morning and was first reported by Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com.

While the details of Winchester’s new deal haven’t yet been released, Chiefs fans can rest easy knowing that a key piece of Kansas City’s special teams unit is officially under contract for at least one more season.

Winchester has played for the Chiefs since 2015 after initially joining the NFL as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and has made a name for himself as one of the league’s most consistent long snappers.

This move might not be the flashiest, but it will prove to help Kansas City maintain continuity on its special teams unit, which is expected to lose All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend.

Saints ST coach Darren Rizzi leading onside kick rules change proposal

Successful onside kicks have become a rare thing in the NFL, but Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi is working to reverse that:

Successful onside kicks have become a rare thing in the NFL as health and safety-minded rules changes cut down on opportunities for teams to design a clever play, but New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi is working to reverse that.

Rizzi workshopped a proposal with other special teams coordinators around the league (namely the Dallas Cowboys’ John Fassel and Chicago Bears’ Richard Hightower, per the MMQB’s Albert Breer) to present to the NFL competition committee with hopes of making the game’s third phase more exciting while keeping player safety in mind.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, their proposal would limit onside kick attempts to situations in which teams are trailing in the fourth quarter, as well as requiring them to declare their intentions before trying it. But they would be allowed to use old-school unbalanced formations, giving the kicking team a numbers advantage in recovery.

This is one of several ways in which the NFL is trying to relitigate kick returns after their last wave of rules changes essentially nullified them; we’ve never seen so few kicks returned or onside kicks recovered in the history of the game. Pelissero adds that other aspects of the proposal include more limitations on when and where players can move before the kick is touched, as well as increasing the distance gained from a touchback to 35 yards.

Still, if these rules already existed we’d be without one of the most memorable plays in Saints history: “Ambush,” the surprise onside kick to start the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV.

The NFL has written itself into a corner by coming down so hard on kick returns. More rules changes could help, but they’re just as likely to continue whittling the play’s impact on the game even further down. Having experienced special teams coaches like Rizzi at the forefront may be good for the process, but the results will speak for themselves.

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Twitter reacts to Chiefs signing punter Matt Araiza

Users on Twitter reacted to the #Chiefs’ decision to sign punter Matt Araiza on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, marking their first significant move of the offseason since winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza, known to his fans as “Punt God”, was a decorated player as a collegian at San Diego State University, earning All-American honors and the Ray Guy Trophy in 2021.

Initially selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Araiza’s professional career was nearly ended by a lawsuit that was dismissed in December.

His signing may mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s tenure in Kansas City, which made some fans feel uneasy about the signing when news of his acquisition by the Chiefs broke this week.

Townsend had become a cherished member of Kansas City’s special teams unit and, with his future now unclear, users on Twitter were quick to react to Araiza’s signing.

Check out their top posts about the move below:

Chiefs sign free agent punter Matt Araiza

The #Chiefs signed punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, a move that could mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s time in Kansas City.

With the cloud of a lawsuit behind him, the Kansas City Chiefs intend to sign former 2022 sixth-round pick Matt Araiza on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team’s first notable move after its victory in Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza put together an illustrious career at San Diego State that captivated audiences around the country, earning him the nickname “Punt God.”

He was an All-American in college and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best collegiate punter in 2021, leading to his selection by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

That summer he was released, however, after being named in a lawsuit alleging the rape of a 17-year-old girl. Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit in December 2023 in exchange for him dropping a defamation lawsuit against her.

All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend isn’t under contract with the Chiefs for the 2024 season, and Araiza’s addition could be an indication that they are moving on.

While it remains to be seen whether Araiza’s golden leg will be as effective as it was in college, his signing on Thursday is a good sign that Kansas City’s coaching staff is comfortable with his ability to at least compete for a starting spot if Townsend re-signs.

Wisconsin lands its kickoff specialist for 2024

Wisconsin lands its kickoff specialist for 2024

Wisconsin added a commitment from walk-on kickoff specialist Gianni Smith on Tuesday.

Smith joins as a grad transfer from Portland State. He recorded touchbacks on 45 of his 63 kickoffs last season, plus has a career field goal mark of 17/22 (8/9 in 2023) — meaning he can also kick field goals if necessary.

Related: Ranking the Big Ten head football coaches entering the 2024 season

Wisconsin used Gavin Lahm in the kickoff specialist role in 2023. He sent just 12 of his 32 kickoffs for touchbacks — making this an opportunity to upgrade entering an important 2024 season.

Wisconsin is in good shape in the other special teams departments. Kicker Nathanial Vakos is back after a stellar 2023, and punter Atticus Bertrams returns after a so-so debut season in Madison.

The Badgers’ 2024 transfer class is heralded as one of the best in the nation. It is a group that must contribute immediately in 2024, especially if Wisconsin is to improve on 2023’s 7-6 record.

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Chiefs extend contract of special teams coordinator Dave Toub

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub was the latest assistant coach to earn a contract extension after the #Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory.

After extending defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s contract earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs locked in yet another assistant coach to a long-term deal on Friday.

Longtime special teams coordinator Dave Toub was the latest coach to earn a new contract, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Toub’s new contract will keep him in Kansas City for the next three years and will ensure that the Chiefs maintain continuity on their coaching staff as they endeavor to win their third consecutive Super Bowl next season.

The veteran coordinator has been a fixture on Kansas City’s sideline since Andy Reid’s tenure with the Chiefs started in 2013. Before his time in the NFL, Toub coached the Missouri Tigers for more than a decade between 1989 and 2000.

His continued presence will be a valuable asset for Kansas City in the coming years as the Chiefs look to build their budding dynasty for the long term.

Bucs interview two more candidates for special teams opening

One of the new interviews includes an in-house hire that played safety for the Bucs for six years.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are continuing their coaching search, as they have conducted two more interviews for their special teams coordinator opening.

The team announced Monday that it has interviewed both Bucs special teams assistant Keith Tandy and Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator Larry Izzo for their special teams coordinator opening. With the two interviewed, there have been four total interviews for the spot after previous special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong retired.

Tandy has history with the Bucs, and it isn’t just as a coach. He spent six years with the team as a safety from 2012-17, and he came on to the team as a special teams assistant in 2020 and has a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay from their 2020 season. Tandy is the in-house candidate for the Bucs, having been involved in the organization for a total of 10 years.

Izzo is the Seahawks’ special teams coordinator and has been since 2021. A former player himself in the league from 1996-2009, Izzo was not explicitly fired in Seattle but he was not retained after new head coach Mike Macdonald brought on Jay Harbaugh to serve as special teams coordinator. Izzo has been a coach in the NFL for quite some time, beginning his coaching career in 2011 with the New York Giants.

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