Packers sign Drew Kaser, update on punting situation
The Green Bay Packers signed former Los Angeles Chargers punter, Drew Kaser, on Saturday afternoon.
Fans who were looking for a free agent splash kind of got one Saturday afternoon. After it was reported that Oakland Raiders defensive end, Bruce Irvin, was available, Twitter was filled with Irvin to the Green Bay Packers hopes.
The Packers did grab someone from the AFC West, but not anyone they expected. It was former Los Angeles Chargers punter, Drew Kaser.
The initial thought was, well is something wrong with JK Scott? He’s not on the injury report, so that can’t be the case.
Scott did botch a punt at a crucial point in the game last Sunday. A 25-yard punt from him gave the Los Angeles Rams excellent field position. The Rams would score a go-ahead field goal and that would be the decisive score in a 29-27 Packers loss.
Maybe they signed Kaser to give Scott a little bit of competition, after all, he hasn’t looked good in his last couple of games.
Scott’s recent struggles were magnified after the Rams game, but his numbers haven’t been up to his standard recently either. Green Bay could be looking for some midseason punting competition.
But why would you even think about cutting a punter you spent a fifth-round pick on after half a season? Even though his numbers have been down recently, he hasn’t been bad at all. Scott has averaged 46.9 yards per punt this season, including a beautiful 63-yard punt earlier this season.
The only other explanation is one that’s a little bit outside of the box. The Packers face one of the most dangerous kick returners in the league on Sunday night. Cordarrelle Patterson has torched the Packers before.
Drew Kaser is what many consider a “kickoff specialist”. There is a good chance that he is used on kickoffs instead of Mason Crosby. You don’t want Cordarrelle Patterson returning kicks. Kaser just might be able to stop that from happening.
Maybe the Packers just want two punters on the roster. It’s a questionable move, but it has been done before.
Next. Top 30 moments in Green Bay Packers history. dark
Kaser’s time may be limited, especially if he is used just to keep Patterson from returning kickoffs. Maybe he will stay on the roster for some time. Either way, the Packers are rolling with two punters for the time being.