Well if you draft them you have them exclusively, if they are UDFA there are 31 other teams that could possibly sign them. So if there is one or two guys that are higher quality guys it could be worth it. I mean if the choice is between a guy that is probably going to be on the PS or get some minimal contribution on special teams and a punter who can help you with field position fairly frequently I would say the punter has far more value then the guy who maybe plays a few snaps on ST and makes a tackle or two over the course of a season. I agree everyone is entitled to their opinion and I get why people don't value punters highly. I don't really in general either. For me the issue is that we don't have a great one at the moment and it wouldn't have been terrible to pick one up in the late 6th or even 7th round to ensure you have a guy who could help your team on a game-by-game basis.
My belief is in players that impact the football game the most, Kickers and Punters are just a little less down the list for me than some of you.
Yes, you can find them, but they're not usually anywhere near the best. Why settle for 2nd or 3rd best?
Tell that to us the next time a team loses by 2 or 3 points cause a kick went wide right or a punter shanks a ball leaving the other team already in fieldgoal range to win the game.
With how much of a defensive team we are, a high quality punter is absolutely crucial for us to pin teams deep into their own territory. I'm surprised we didn't get Hornsey or Kirby Van Der Kemp.
In general, sure. But for a team with a pretty bad offense that goes three and out a lot putting the other team's offense a bit further out of reach would be nice. Plus, how often do we start within 5 yards of our endzone to start a drive vs how often do our opponents? It almost never happens for us. A good punter would help us a lot. Not more than a top flight QB or WR or OLB obviously but they still play a relatively valuable role. Like I said: I'd rather have a really good punter at the cost of a 6th or 7th round pick (especially when we have 12 picks) over picking a guy who is probably spending the year on the PS or maybe playing a bit on ST. That's just me.
Kickers due to the new rules on kickoffs have been taken down a notch for importance but punters still hold tremendous value, especially if you are a team that prides itself on great defense and have an offense that remains to be seen if its successful or not. Field position is vital and it is not a recipe for success when you call upon your punter to pin someone inside the 10 or 5 yard line and they kick it in the endzone....that's 10, maybe 15 yards you are giving up for free and puts more stress on your defense to keep them out of scoring range. Someone who can nail deep bombs or hit high punts to wipe out a potential punt return does wonders for a team. Have to believe in our new Special Teams coach that he's a fan of Quigley's or likes this Tenn. guy. He's seen first hand the guy while at LSU.
