There is no other way to put it, the 2021 New York Jets season was a wild roller coaster.
It started Week 1 when their punter, Braden Mann, was injured and a kicker that had never punted in his life before, Matt Ammendola, was forced to step up to the plate.
While he performed admirably, the Jets coaching staff knew they were going to need to call in professional reinforcements to fill the void and they did.
Gang Green signed longtime NFL veteran Thomas Morstead to a contract and he lived up to the hype.
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Could Be Gone Like the Wind
According to Andy Slater of Fox Sports Radio, Morstead is visiting the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, April 6.
NEW: The Miami Dolphins are bringing in longtime Saints punter Thomas Morstead for a visit today, a source tells me.
He filled in for seven games on Gang Green during the 2021 campaign:
- 23 punts
- 1,108 yards
- 48.2 yards per punt
While the sample size was relatively small, that average was one of the best marks of Morstead’s career.
Despite his impressive numbers, the Jets released him once Mann was healthy enough to reclaim his job.
The 36-year-old special teamer originally entered the league back in 2009 as the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round out of SMU.
Prior to joining the Jets this past season, he had spent the first 12 years of his career with the New Orleans Saints. During that run, Morstead won a Super Bowl championship, earned a Pro Bowl nomination, and became one of the best punters in the NFL.
First, Miami takes Tyreek Hill away from the Jets in trade, and now they could get Morstead? There is no question they’re building a super team down in south beach.
A Hidden Part of the Game
Head coach Robert Saleh was determined to add more competition at the kicker position this offseason and that they did.
On top of re-signing Eddy Pineiro to a one-year deal, they also signed veteran placekicker Greg Zuerlein. It’ll be a two-man race where the best man will win and the loser will be voted off of the island.
Competition breeds success and makes everyone better.
With that thought in mind, the Jets should show that same level of aggression at punter as they did kicker.
Mann was 21st in the NFL in overall average and his 14 punts inside the 20 ranked 31st in the NFL last season.
Long story short the 24-year-old hasn’t exactly done enough to warrant a starting job being handed to him on a silver platter.
Whether it is Morstead or someone else, it is of the utmost importance to add another proven leg ahead of training camp. At a minimum, it’ll push Mann to realize his full potential or if he doesn’t step up to the plate a new veteran will take his gig.
Punters don’t get talked enough about in the NFL landscape but the battle of field position can be a massive difference maker between winning and losing.
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