Off-Season Pre-Draft Pre-view: Part 3 (Special Teams)

[DaBruinz]

Special Teams:

Kicker – Stephen Gostkowski - Gostkowski hasn’t made us forget our previous kicker, but he put up a very solid season and came through in the one pressure situation the Pats put him in. Gost helped the Pats kick-offs tremendously, averaging 66.2 yards per kick with 12 touch backs. The opponents averaged 22.9 yards per return with an average start of the 26.3 yard line.
Not bad for a rookie.

Punter – Josh Miller, Tom Malone, Danny Baugher - When Miller was healthy, the Punt team was the BEST in the league allowing a miniscule 1.4 YPR. When he wasn’t, the YPR sky-rocketed. Miller had 12 punts inside the 20 and 7 for TBs. Out of 43 punts. That is awesome. Sauerbrun showed an amazing leg. The problem was that he didn’t show control. People seem to like him, I don’t. I think that too many of his punts are returned. And, now he’s gone to Denver.

I think that, unless Miller doesn’t recover from his shoulder injury, we’ll see him back with Malone and Baugher taking reps in camp.

Draft Options: Danny Sepulveda

Free Agents: Todd Sauerbrun (UFA- Denver), Ken Walter (UFA)

Long-Snapper - Lonnie Paxton,– Paxton is very solid player. Has only had one muffed snap (that I can remember anyways) in his years in with the Pats.

I expect the Pats to bring in at least one long-snapper, though they may have Thomas work on that.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I didn't realize until I saw it in the Herald today the Patriots were 29th in net punting last year. No wonder they matched the offer to Sauerbrun even if that failed. I won't be surprised to see a punter drafted at all. Miller's getting old.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I didn't realize until I saw it in the Herald today the Patriots were 29th in net punting last year. No wonder they matched the offer to Sauerbrun even if that failed. I won't be surprised to see a punter drafted at all. Miller's getting old.

What were they before Miller went on IR? I think it's a bit better than that.

 

[RayClay]

I didn't realize until I saw it in the Herald today the Patriots were 29th in net punting last year. No wonder they matched the offer to Sauerbrun even if that failed. I won't be surprised to see a punter drafted at all. Miller's getting old.

I will be surprised to see a punter, although with the glut of bottom round picks, many of them untradeable, we might draft a holder to replace Ken Walter.

 

[DaBruinz]

I didn't realize until I saw it in the Herald today the Patriots were 29th in net punting last year. No wonder they matched the offer to Sauerbrun even if that failed. I won't be surprised to see a punter drafted at all. Miller's getting old.

The Pats were 1st in net punting prior to Miller getting hurt (Buffalo Game). It was the Buffalo Game and the Minnesota game that killed him.

Then it was the Tennessee Game that cinched everything for the Pats. That run back for a TD by PacMan.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I will be surprised to see a punter, although with the glut of bottom round picks, many of them untradeable, we might draft a holder to replace Ken Walter.

While Miller will hold if he's healthy enough to punt, we have our #1a holder in our backup QB. And it's one that lends itself to the little punting intrigue. Hopefully with all the WR additions we won't be punting all that much anyway...