DEAR TED...FIND US A DAM PUNTER

[Bretsky]

Many weeks ago, I think in a game thread, I recalled a quote by PBMax after another disappoining play in our world of inconsisten special teams

If Ted Thompson doesn't draft a punter next year I think I'll puke....I can't remember if he attached "or sign a free agent punter" or not to that. But it was one of the quotes of the month

Dear Ted

STOP the INSANITY

Year after year it appears we think we have the ability to pluck a guy off the street and he'll be just fine. We weren't fine last year. We sucked at punter. We saw it week after week, month after month.
We arent' fine this year; we suck at punter. Time to attach some urgency and priority there this offseason. The special teams punt coverage unit sucks and part of that is the punter.

Sick of it.

Sick of the inconsistency
Sick of seeing a punter outkick his coverage on a line drive punt that leads to a huge return...or a touchdown
Sick of the inconsistency
Sick of seeing shanks at key points in the game
Sick of the inconsistency

[Bossman641]

Cosigned

Seems like masthay gets worse every game.

[Bretsky]

the guy seems to have a leg but not enought talent to use it consistently

Our situation at punter just keeps making this team worse and along with specials it sinks us

Would it be too much to ask to just find somebody capable of being average ?

[Bossman641]

Speaking of the punt game, Jon Ryan got absolutely smashed today on Hester's PR TD. He was down a long time. He got blindsided by Earl Bennett I believe and it was pretty ugly. Hope the guy is OK.

[The Leaper]

Ted...try getting some good OL players as well while you are recruiting punters. I've seen mediocre play from the OL for 4+ years now...how much longer does that have to happen before Ted does anything about it and admit that his some of his handpicked boys aren't up to snuff.

[Patler]

Ted...try getting some good OL players as well while you are recruiting punters. I've seen mediocre play from the OL for 4+ years now...how much longer does that have to happen before Ted does anything about it and admit that his some of his handpicked boys aren't up to snuff.

Campen/players?....Campen/players?....Campen/players?
I struggle with that question, but I think most on here know which direction I lean! :lol:

[3irty1]

The special teams and offensive line coaches might as well get canned. Not like they could get much worse.

[Pugger]

What ever happened to that Aussie chap we had in TC this past summer?

[Patler]

What ever happened to that Aussie chap we had in TC this past summer?

Signed with Tampa Bay. Kicked for 5 weeks and was cut last Tuesday.

[pbmax]

I think we should resign Craig Hentrich and ask him to forgive us. And to remove the curse. And if he won't do it, find Bidwell.

And if Bidwell turns us down, then we need Pedro Cerrano and a bucket of KFC.

[Tarlam!]

What ever happened to that Aussie chap we had in TC this past summer?

Signed with Tampa Bay. Kicked for 5 weeks and was cut last Tuesday.

http://www.buccaneers.com/news/article-1/Rookie-Malone-Claims-Bucs-Punting-Job/0a38aacf-e1f6-4878-ba01-efec948cd79a


Bryan, who hails from Australia and previously played in the Australian Football League, spent the preseason with the Packers, where he battled for the punting job with rookie Tim Masthay. After Masthay won the competition, Bryan landed in Tampa and assumed the Bucs' punting job on opening day.

In four games, Bryan punted 23 times for 860 yards, compiling a gross average of 37.4 yards per kick. He hit seven punts inside the 20 and posted a net average of 34.3.

Though the Buccaneers are statistically among the league’s best in such special teams categories as field goal percentage, opponent field goal percentage, punt coverage, kickoff coverage and opponent kickoff drive start, their gross punting average ranks 31st in the NFL and their net punting average ranks 28th. The Bucs hope the addition of Malone will help them improve in those categories, as well.

Got replaced by a rookie.

His detailled stats: http://www.nfl.com/players/chrisbryan/profile?id=BRY039881

Too bad, he just became a father, too or again. Not sure if it was their first.

[Fritz]

I'm on board, Ted. You know I think you've done a good job as GM - look at my avatar - but you h ave screwed the pooch on this punter thing.

Masthay seems to be getting worse every week. It's like he's f___d up in the head now.

Now, nobody here is saying you should trade up in the third round next year to grab an Ohio State punter who can kick in the cold, but c'mon - how about a fifth or sixth or even a seventh rounder (wait, there's the Anthony Smith trade) to get a kid you can live with the first year but will actually get better, not worse.

I m ean, stick with Masthay for now - what else ya gonna do? Give him the chance to straigten it out. Well, to hang it up and kick it farther. But if he's still hitting line drive 39 yard punts at the end of the year, fuggem.

[Jimx29]

Ted: kick MM out of your bed and talk to Cowher or Mooch

That automatically make your shit pick for punter look good cause he'll be sitting on the sidelines for games at a time

[pbmax]

No Mooch. Coach Chin would be fine.

[Joemailman]

I think we should resign Craig Hentrich and ask him to forgive us. And to remove the curse. And if he won't do it, find Bidwell.

And if Bidwell turns us down, then we need Pedro Cerrano and a bucket of KFC.

Paul McJulien was at Alumni Day a few weeks ago.

[falco]

Mooch?? Really???

[mmmdk]

Hoodlum: Wuz up wid u not givin' dem pooch guys some serious looks? Get it goin' TT or it's hang time, TT!

TT: Funny, you're a funny guy. Shouldn't you add: NO PUNT INTENDED too?

Hoodlum: Wuz dat? :?:

TT: Thought so!

[Tarlam!]

The best punter in the draft was Zoltan Mesko. He went in the 5th, 4 picks later, TT selects Quarless.

At 169, the final pick in the 5th, TT selects Newhouse. At 172, the Bucs pick a Punter, Brent Bowden, who they eventually cut. His player page at NFL still has him listed as a Buc, so I assume he wanders the Earth with his cell phone waiting to ring.

The only other Punter drafted, is Matt dodge, who now kicks for the Giants. He went in the 7th, 221 overall. TT took starks at 193. He didn't get another pick until 230, where he took Wilson.

Quick stats:

Masthay, Tim PUNTS 24 AVG 43.1 LNG 58 IN 20 4 GB
Mesko, Zoltan PUNTS 16 AVG 44.2 LNG 65 IN 20 4 NE
Dodge, Matt PUNTS 25 AVG 45.2 LNG 64 IN 20 6 NYG
Malone, Robert* PUNTS 3 AVG 45.7 LNG 54 IN 20 2 TB
Ryan, Jon** PUNTS 29 AVG 42.0 LNG 56 IN 20 12 SEA

* The guy that replaced the Aussie
** The guy TT fired.

My summary: Based on what was available in the 2010 draft, TT made sound decisions. Could he have raided the Bucs practice squad for Malone? Could he have picked Dodge instead of Starks? Sure, but I'm glad he didn't. Ah, yeah, but the Punter he cut beat out Malone and was on the Bucs' roster.

The real mistake is that the punting coach couldn't tickle Ryan into performing. TT should have fired the workman blaming the tools for shitty results. Instead he replaced the tools. That's on M3 as much as it is on TT.