Broncos news megathread

[ROYC75]

Discussion: All things Broncos.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by staylor26

#Broncos P Sam Martin is being released today by Denver after indicating he would refuse any pay reduction. He was a top 5 punter statistically in 2021 and set Broncos all-time record for net punting last season. Will have interest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2022

I thought the Broncos had that Walmart money now?

I wonder if Hackett gave him a hug before he was cut. And then hugged him again after he was cut.

[staylor26]

I wonder if he got a Hackett hug before leaving the building

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I wonder if Hackett gave him a hug before he was cut. And then hugged him again after he was cut.

You beat me to it!

[Sassy Squatch]

Maybe a #HackettTug

[MagicHef]

I can't remember the last time a team cutting one of two punters on their roster to get down to 53 was any sort of news.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Wally World money!!

[FlaChief58]

It's the wally world way. Pay their employees as little as possible to maximize profits. They're the new Culverhouse.

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

I can't remember the last time a team cutting one of two punters on their roster to get down to 53 was any sort of news.

Special teams are important for a teetering team like the Donks...making the post-season could come down to a single loss. Flipping field position is crucial in close games...

Word is they hired a 4'3" female Chinese punter from one of Wally World's sweat shops....embracing the NFL's push towards inclusion, equity and diversity.

"The Chinese female market is an untapped global demographic prime for exploitation. Will really help offset the financial burden of soaring of QB salaries"- Goodell (acting as spokesman on behalf of the Walton group)

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by staylor26

#Broncos P Sam Martin is being released today by Denver after indicating he would refuse any pay reduction. He was a top 5 punter statistically in 2021 and set Broncos all-time record for net punting last season. Will have interest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2022

I thought the Broncos had that Walmart money now?

Paton found a young, cheap left-footed punter who beat him out.

Spoiler!

Here’s why the Broncos chose Corliss Waitman over Sam Martin at punter
BY ANDREW MASON

The new ownership of the Broncos has seemingly boundless wealth. Money is no object to the Walton-Penner family ownership consortium.

But the hard salary cap will always put a check on things.

And for Sam Martin, the fact that he had a $2,733,334 cap figure compared to Corliss Waitman’s $825,000 number meant that the 10-year veteran had to be appreciably better for what special-teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes wanted to do in order to remain with the Broncos.

Martin wasn’t.

As was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Martin declined a contract restructure. Thus, the Broncos will release Martin and go with Waitman, whose only previous regular-season experience was a two-game stint with Pittsburgh last year.

Even though the Broncos will still have $483,334 of dead money to carry on Martin’s contract, they will save $1.425 million of cap space in the exchange.

By choosing Waitman, the Broncos also went with the punter who had the better hang time in the preseason. Martin had the superior gross average, but Waitman had the better net average.

Their preseason game data is as follows:

Martin:

Punts: 4
Punts returned: 2
Gross average: 49.0
Net average: 36.3
Average hang time: 4.09 seconds

Waitman:

Punts: 6
Punts returned: 0
Gross average: 43.3
Net average: 40.0
Average hang time: 4.65 seconds

That being said, the net averages would have been exactly the same — and perhaps slightly better for Martin, potentially as good as 41.0 yards — if Jacob Bobenmoyer had managed to knock Martin’s third-quarter punt Saturday back into play. Instead, Bobenmoyer’s unforced error resulted in a touchback.

But another key stat was punts returned. Waitman’s hang time led to a series of fair catches. Martin had two punts in the preseason with sub-4.00-second hang times that opponents returned, including a 21-yard runback Saturday.

Stukes noted last week that the punters’ work in practice would factor in as part of the sample size to determine who won the job. But those snaps also showed little separation — and Waitman having the better hang time.

For example, the first day of live punts in training camp was on Day 4. Martin had an average hang time of 4.21 seconds, but Waitman’s average was 4.82 seconds. On Day 12, Martin’s average hang time was 4.19 seconds on five punts, while Waitman averaged 4.86 seconds on six punts.

Furthermore, in the four days of live special-teams work in camp, every hang time clocked by this reporter of over 5.00 seconds belonged to Waitman.

The fact that Waitman is a left-footed punter means the Broncos will offer a different dimension to opponents. The ball spins differently for lefties than for right-footed punters, who represent a vast majority of the league’s complement at the position. This is one reason why Patriots coach Bill Belichick — who has special teams in his background — used left-footed punters for most of his now 23 seasons as New England’s sideline boss.

But ultimately, with the salary-cap figures in play, Martin needed to be substantially better than Waitman.

This summer, he wasn’t. And in one key way — hang time — Waitman was better.

And that’s why the Broncos will move on.

https://denverfan.com/2100092/heres-...tin-at-punter/

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe

Paton found a young, cheap left-footed punter who beat him out.

Spoiler!

Here’s why the Broncos chose Corliss Waitman over Sam Martin at punter
BY ANDREW MASON

The new ownership of the Broncos has seemingly boundless wealth. Money is no object to the Walton-Penner family ownership consortium.

But the hard salary cap will always put a check on things.

And for Sam Martin, the fact that he had a $2,733,334 cap figure compared to Corliss Waitman’s $825,000 number meant that the 10-year veteran had to be appreciably better for what special-teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes wanted to do in order to remain with the Broncos.

Martin wasn’t.

As was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Martin declined a contract restructure. Thus, the Broncos will release Martin and go with Waitman, whose only previous regular-season experience was a two-game stint with Pittsburgh last year.

Even though the Broncos will still have $483,334 of dead money to carry on Martin’s contract, they will save $1.425 million of cap space in the exchange.

By choosing Waitman, the Broncos also went with the punter who had the better hang time in the preseason. Martin had the superior gross average, but Waitman had the better net average.

Their preseason game data is as follows:

Martin:

Punts: 4
Punts returned: 2
Gross average: 49.0
Net average: 36.3
Average hang time: 4.09 seconds

Waitman:

Punts: 6
Punts returned: 0
Gross average: 43.3
Net average: 40.0
Average hang time: 4.65 seconds

That being said, the net averages would have been exactly the same — and perhaps slightly better for Martin, potentially as good as 41.0 yards — if Jacob Bobenmoyer had managed to knock Martin’s third-quarter punt Saturday back into play. Instead, Bobenmoyer’s unforced error resulted in a touchback.

But another key stat was punts returned. Waitman’s hang time led to a series of fair catches. Martin had two punts in the preseason with sub-4.00-second hang times that opponents returned, including a 21-yard runback Saturday.

Stukes noted last week that the punters’ work in practice would factor in as part of the sample size to determine who won the job. But those snaps also showed little separation — and Waitman having the better hang time.

For example, the first day of live punts in training camp was on Day 4. Martin had an average hang time of 4.21 seconds, but Waitman’s average was 4.82 seconds. On Day 12, Martin’s average hang time was 4.19 seconds on five punts, while Waitman averaged 4.86 seconds on six punts.

Furthermore, in the four days of live special-teams work in camp, every hang time clocked by this reporter of over 5.00 seconds belonged to Waitman.

The fact that Waitman is a left-footed punter means the Broncos will offer a different dimension to opponents. The ball spins differently for lefties than for right-footed punters, who represent a vast majority of the league’s complement at the position. This is one reason why Patriots coach Bill Belichick — who has special teams in his background — used left-footed punters for most of his now 23 seasons as New England’s sideline boss.

But ultimately, with the salary-cap figures in play, Martin needed to be substantially better than Waitman.

This summer, he wasn’t. And in one key way — hang time — Waitman was better.

And that’s why the Broncos will move on.

https://denverfan.com/2100092/heres-...tin-at-punter/

Or the fact they are broke...I'm down with them having an unproven punter over a guy who set their franchise record last season.

I"m glad you're excited over this dumpster-diving move...

[Mile High Mania]

I won't lose any sleep over the punter battle.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

Or the fact they are broke...I'm down with them having an unproven rookie punter over a guy who set their franchise record last season.

I"m glad you're excited over this dumpster-diving move...

It's a cap move and if the other guy is the same, then so be it and they saved a few cap dollars in the process.

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

It's a cap move and if the other guy is the same, then so be it and they saved a few cap dollars in the process.

"We'll see"

Your team team cant even afford a top punter...think about that. Talk about a chintzy way to cobble together some cash...

[Bowser]

Wal-Mart money with Wal-Mart pricing!

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Wal-Mart money with Wal-Mart pricing!

At least it sends a positive LR message...that if you set a franchise record for your team, your reward is to take a paycut or be outed over a measly million dollars.