Packers claim punter Jacob Schum, release Tim Masthay

[sschind]

http://www.espn.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/32833/former-packers-punter-tim-masthay-its-really-hard-to-say-goodbye.

Just for the record, Masthay leaves as the Packers' all-time career gross (44.2) and net punter (38.7.)

In 2015 he set the franchise record with a 40.2 yd. net average and now holds the top five single season marks in club history(since 1976)

He helped the Packers lead the league in opponent return average at 4.2 yds; the best by a Packers' team since 1969.

In last season's Wild Card playoff he averaged 45.3 yd gross and 44.0 net on 4 punts, the second best in Green Bay postseason history. He holds the record with 47.0 averages against San Francisco in 2012.

In 2014 he surpassed Craig Hentrich's career record of 104 punts placed inside the opponent's 2- yd. line and now holds the franchise's top spot (since 1976) with 132.

In 2011 he broke Hentrich's since season record for gross average at 45.6 and now holds two of the top four records in team history.

In other words he sucks and has to go.

2 weeks ago so many were crying that anybody would be an improvement over Masthay and now everybody is crying that that we got someone else. I guess there really is no pleasing some people.

 

[RRyder]

I don't know about you, but I wont be missing Masthay's shanks and 25 yard punts on the regular.

Untill you get to see the new punters 23 yard shanks you mean?

As bad as Masthay was they brought in a guy who is worse. Just let that seep in before maintaining that it can't get any worse

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Don't get me wrong, I was in favor of replacing Masthay with a better and more consistent punter this offseason. Schum, being one of only a few punters averaging less yards than Masthay in 2015, is an odd choice though especially after bringing him in less than two weeks before the start of the regular season.

FYI ~ Britton Colquitt stated in a Denver article yesterday (8/30) that he's already had interest from the Packers, Arizona, Chicago & Minnesota. His agent also stated that he was asked to cut his '16 salary from $3.25Mil down to $1.3Mil and that Colquitt agreed to drop it to $2.25Mil but that wasn't enough for Denver.
http://www.milehighreport.com/2016/...colquitt-sad-to-be-leaving-the-denver-broncos

Front load a 2yr, $4.5Mil deal so smaller cap hit in '17?

I don't think the Packers have the necessary cap space to use $4.5 million of it over the next two years on a punter.

 

[Pkrjones]

I don't think the Packers have the necessary cap space to use $4.5 million of it over the next two years on a punter.

Yet they re-signed a solid, dependable kicker to $4.1Mil/yr.? IMHO TT will spend $$ on a solid, dependable punter who can flip the field and pin the opponent deep regularly. Cutting Masthay freed-up $1.3Mil (in '16) and trading McCray another $750K in cap. There's cap $ available if TT opts for dependable punting... or he'll save some cap $ and we'll see more 4th & 3 tries in '16.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Yet they re-signed a solid, dependable kicker to $4.1Mil/yr.? IMHO TT will spend $$ on a solid, dependable punter who can flip the field and pin the opponent deep regularly. Cutting Masthay freed-up $1.3Mil (in '16) and trading McCray another $750K in cap. There's cap $ available if TT opts for dependable punting... or he'll save some cap $ and we'll see more 4th & 3 tries in '16.

Your numbers are a bit off as both players already were paid their workout bonuses for a total of $175K. In addition you forget they have to be replaced by another player so the actual cap savings amounts to a maximum of $975K.

Another thing you ignored is that five players currently on injured reserve result in an additional cap hit of at least $2.25 million. The Packers might reach an injury settlement with some of them but that hasn't happened so far.

Overall, the team has limited cap space available right now and will be in a difficult situation next offseason so I don't see the need to spend multiple millions on a punter.

And don't get me started on the contract Crosby was signed to again.

 

[Mondio]

I didn't pay too close of attention, but it sounded like he would have signed for less with Denver, around the 1. something million dollar per year, but he wanted it guaranteed for the 3 years and they wouldn't guarantee any of it, not even year one.

 

[Pkrjones]

Your numbers are a bit off as both players already were paid their workout bonuses for a total of $175K. In addition you forget they have to be replaced by another player so the actual cap savings amounts to a maximum of $975K.

Another thing you ignored is that five players currently on injured reserve result in an additional cap hit of at least $2.25 million. The Packers might reach an injury settlement with some of them but that hasn't happened so far.

Overthecap shows Masthay's post-June cap savings as $1.3Mil and McCray's as $750K = $2.05Mil for '16. McCray's "place" on the top-51 for cap purposes would be taken by Thomas, Allison, Murphy, Davis, or Brice which would cost roughly $500K, so with those 2 roster moves there's still a '16 cap savings of $1.5Mil.

There will always be IR cap losses whether Masthay is on the roster or Colquitt or Schum or Scifres or Mortell. My point is that $2.25 or $2.5Mil for a solid, dependable punter is NOT out of the question, it is possible. We can differ on if TT will actually consider doing it, which is why I brought up spending $4.1Mil/yr. on a kicker.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Overthecap shows Masthay's post-June cap savings as $1.3Mil and McCray's as $750K = $2.05Mil for '16. McCray's "place" on the top-51 for cap purposes would be taken by Thomas, Allison, Murphy, Davis, or Brice which would cost roughly $500K, so with those 2 roster moves there's still a '16 cap savings of $1.5Mil.

There will always be IR cap losses whether Masthay is on the roster or Colquitt or Schum or Scifres or Mortell. My point is that $2.25 or $2.5Mil for a solid, dependable punter is NOT out of the question, it is possible. We can differ on if TT will actually consider doing it, which is why I brought up spending $4.1Mil/yr. on a kicker.

Well, workout bonuses are paid during the offseason, therefore Masthay's and McCray's will count against the Packers salary cap.

The Packers will most likely enter the season with less than $5 million of cap space. I don't consider it a great idea to spend $2 million of it on a punter.

 

[Sky King]

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it fellow forumites but dueling bean-counters are more interesting to me than a typical preseason game.

 

[Half Empty]

In other words he sucks and has to go.

2 weeks ago so many were crying that anybody would be an improvement over Masthay and now everybody is crying that that we got someone else. I guess there really is no pleasing some people.

I think most of us were using that term figuratively, meaning we expected that there would be someone able to punt better than 31 other guys - that's all it would have taken to please some/most people.

 

[JBlood]

I'm not sorry to see him go

Agreed. But why let the undrafted guy go? Wouldn't hurt to have a couple guys testing each other the last couple weeks.

 

[JBlood]

Maybe MM thinks they'll just go for it on 4th down. He seems to think we've got the offensive line to do it.

 

[Carl]

So far so good tonight.

 

[Mondio]

Agreed. But why let the undrafted guy go? Wouldn't hurt to have a couple guys testing each other the last couple weeks.

Imo, he didn't win the job. His numbers looked nice, but I think they were more smoke and mirrors than great solid punts. I was rooting for him, but he didn't take it.

Besides that, the word from practice was that he was pretty inconsistent there at times. I'd like to see him work on it, and come back next year.

But it's not as if either was offering much more than guys you could pull from anywhere. Since neither were "it", why keep them around? Chances are at least one of them would be available again later if they wanted to bring them back for another look. I'm glad their continuing to look

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I have to admit that Schum was pretty impressive tonight. If he continues to perform at that level Thompson claiming him off waivers will turn out to be a great move.

 

[Mondio]

If that is our punting game for the rest of the year, i'm good with it it too. Things I liked, he seemed smooth and relaxed, yet his mechanics seem shortened if that makes sense. He just grabs, steps, kicks, not a lot of wasted movement, it looks so relaxed, yet he puts a good leg into the ball. As always, consistency and week to week are going to tell us how good he is, any of these guys can be good for a night, but he's off to a pretty good start.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2016/09/02/schum-gets-off-right-foot/89720242/

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm in the same camp about Schum, albeit it was just one game. His leg looks stronger then Masthay, his hang time was better, he had some nice punts to pin KC back (almost a near perfect one) and he was hustling to make tackles after the punt. I think we may have found our opening day punter. Lets hope he and Mason can use the next 9 days to get that part of his game down.

 

[rodell330]

I'm more shocked that you guy's are SHOCKED....i mean seriously? Masthay wasn't that good guy's.

 

[Half Empty]

I'm more shocked that you guy's are SHOCKED....i mean seriously? Masthay wasn't that good guy's.

What would give anyone the impression that anyone thought he WAS good? The shock was in the timing and the replacement.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm more shocked that you guy's are SHOCKED....i mean seriously? Masthay wasn't that good guy's.

Speaking for myself, I have felt that Masthay wasn't all that good for a long time. The shocker to me was that the Packers waited until 12 days before the regular season to acknowledge it. Then to replace a guy that seemed to have made the 53 due mostly to his chemistry with Mason, with a guy that has been equally as unimpressive was the shocker.

Let's hope the punting controversy has been put to bed, but one game isn't enough.

 

[rodell330]

What would give anyone the impression that anyone thought he WAS good? The shock was in the timing and the replacement.

The fact that people are posting his avg yard per punt stats..and how he's in the Packers history books gave me that impression.

 

[Half Empty]

The fact that people are posting his avg yard per punt stats..and how he's in the Packers history books gave me that impression.

In a quick look, I only found four posts mentioning any of Masthay's stats (2,4,15,19), and none of those said he was good, just that his replacement was more questionable. I don't quite understand the record book part - I'm pretty sure he's #1 in Packers gross average, but, again, nobody hung their hat on that. Perhaps you meant that YOU feel that makes him good, but, if so, that's not the point I was referring to.

 

[rodell330]

In a quick look, I only found four posts mentioning any of Masthay's stats (2,4,15,19), and none of those said he was good, just that his replacement was more questionable. I don't quite understand the record book part - I'm pretty sure he's #1 in Packers gross average, but, again, nobody hung their hat on that. Perhaps you meant that YOU feel that makes him good, but, if so, that's not the point I was referring to.

Yea, i thought Masthay was great!! you got me...

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Yea, i thought Masthay was great!! you got me...

*pictures Rodell at his sewing machine trying to change an 8 to a 10 on his Masthay jersey*