If that's the case, then Chandler Catanzaro will win the K competition even though he has sucked in practices and Ross Martin has been consistently more accurate.
Maybe he misses Australia,,,Fosters and Kangaroos, Great White Shark hunting, friendly Aborigines cheering on the Rugby Game,,,you get it..
He's got till the 3rd preseason to show even the slightest bit of directional skill before it's time to move on. I get he was a draft pick but punters are a big time enigma & all sort of the same skill level. It's just all about finding the right match. New york & those meadowlands winds can take a mental toll on just about any punter. I don't blame Mac for drafting Edwards as he actually signed the consensus other great Punter from that class in Tom Hackett. Edwards beat him out for the spot. It just doesn't make sense to hold onto a completely unreliable punter for multiple seasons..under any circumstance..Edwards has been a major disappointment.
Yeah. And he was supposed to be an upgrade from our mediocre punting before. Well. I am sure there is another free agent out there that could use some work.
JK Scott from Alabama is in his final year at college and as a top college punter for the last 2 years has got to be worth a 7th round pick next year.
Can't downplay field position like Bowles does, if your offense struggles you need a good punter, this guy is terrible
Maybe not having a good punter is part of the plan. Constantly having poor field position means the Jets can increase their chances of losing, while looking like they are trying to win.
Scott drops it in the opposition 10 on most kicks and then leaves Bama's defence to do the rest - probably accounts for why Bama had so many defensive touchdowns last year
Scott's net is like 29th in Div I, his punts inside the 20 are 23rd, he was 4th in average punt but the 3 above him are all much better in net and inside the 20. Wishnowski out of Utah is top 3 in avg, net and inside the 20. Granted stats don't tell the whole story but it all depends if you want Scott's hang time vs the rugby style of Wishnowski and which will translate better to the pro game.
The only problem with that is that he isn't consistently bad. He's just inconsistent. He'll boom one punt 52 yards and then shank one for 14. He has a strong leg, and when he hits it solidly, it's going to be a long punt. I would think that if the Jets were really trying to increase their chances of losing, they'd bring in a punter who perhaps is older, has a weaker leg, is more consistent so it looks like they're trying to upgrade the position, but he barely averages 39-40 yards per punt gross. Maybe there's no one out there like that who hasn't retired.
I take it by rugby style you mean he is kicking for touch, ie putting the ball out of play, as opposed to hanging the ball in the air for the chasing players to get under. Scott's net is "only" 29th as he is not normally kicking from so far back in his own half as many other punters, so his yardage wont look as far. He also has the advantage of playing under much more pressure at Bama where is is on Nationwide TV nearly every week and/or in front of crowds regularly in excess of 100,000, so NFL crowds and Stadia should not get to him as much as a player from a smaller college. I think the point is we can afford to spend a 7th Round pick on a punter, if we can get the right player and he can get us a better starting point on the field of play.
I'll take your word about Scott as a prospect & will give him a look next time I catch Bama. That aside..i think this Edwards thing has left a sour taste in everybody's mouth. The Jets did everything right from their end. They focused on Punter scouting pre-draft w. the ST coordinator heavily involved,they took their guy at the appropriate pick & signed the next best guy on their board as an undrafted free agent to compete..unfortunately it didn't work. Drafting a punter is a rarity..only 1 maybe 2 each year..most Punters end up making by means of competition or injury in an undrafted manner. Now, if we have a boatload of picks due to some sort of trade scenario yet to be & its at the appropriate pick..there's no arguing how big of a need it's been for a long LONG time. As for the replacement for Edwards I'd prioritize directional over kicking distance w. the guarded understanding that they must kick w. quality velocity to kick through the swirling winds. I'd go crafty over cannon leg. I'd rather pin them at the 15 safely than kick it to the 1.5 only to see it bounce into the end zone 8/10 attempts.
Rugby style meaning they will run to the side a bit before punting which gives the coverage team more time to get down the field. His average punt was 4th so he had more than enough room to do that, his punts just allowed better returns for a much lower net yardage. Saying Alabama's play puts him in a better positron not allowing longer punts also neglects the fact the team should have better punt coverage and protection at the line. All would help his game. I have no problem spending a late 7th on a punter if it is warranted but make sure it's the right punter.
Irony of it, is that the Jets took the two best prospects 2 years back..... Edwards the booming hang time choice, and Hackett the crafty directional type. So they did try both yet still have nothing to show for it! I was so stoked when they picked up both options too... I'm not ready to completely give up on Edwards, as the talent is there. A little competition would be good though.....Get Hackett out of the pub and back in Florham Park.
It speaks ill of Mac that he is still our punter. He seems to be getting a longer leash than his performance justifies based on the fact that our GM drafted him. If Tampa can cut a kicker they invested a 2nd round pick in, we should be able to divest ourselves of a terrible punter who we only wasted a 7th on.
Didn't Edwards say in an interview that the football looks a little bit like his Mom and he feels bad kicking it?