Miller, I wouldn't mind giving a higher pick, it's just that (as much as I hate to say it) given that we are staring at a season that can potentially goes south very quickly... I'm not sure I'd want to trade picks in the first four rounds. Won't matter either way, because the deadline has passed.

I'm interested in if Bryan is doing better because that might show that our ST coach is not adequate enough. I keep hearing that Masthay has good practices... and if that is true then it's hella concerning that he is punting so bad.

I think I am at the point where unless there is a clearly better option available, you stick with him because he also happens to be holding. But you are certainly right, Masthay contributed to our loss against Miami. I'm not looking forward to him punting come winter... that will not be pretty if his body of work thus far is an indication.

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Obviously the trade talk is now irrelevant, with the trading deadline having passed, but I don't think it was very relevant to begin with. Trades like this are very rare in the NFL. Had the Packers contacted the Redskins about Lechler, here's what they probably would've heard: "He's not on the market." Plain and simple. Why would they want to trade a good punter in the middle of the season? You can say that they would if the price was high enough, but NFL GMs are not like fans--they don't think lopsided deals made out of desperation are a good idea.

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How do you make Masthay a great punter? Cut him.

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Not only was it a 3rd rounder, but Sherman traded up in the 3rd round to get him. Gave up a 5th round pick to move up 15 places to get Sander. Obviously, Sherman didn't want to take the chance that someone else would draft a punter before our pick came up 15 places later...NOTE: Sander was a starter in only his senior year of college--he was unable to beat out the competition until that point, so he wasn't a dominant punter in college.

Sander performed so poorly in training camp, Bryan Barker was the team's punter all year, and Sherman carried 2 punters (!!) on the roster all year because he didn't want to admit what a bonehead mistake he made, but that only compounded the mistake.

He won the Ray Guy Award for being the best punter in the nation.

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Yes he did, for that senior year. Until then, he wasn't even the best punter on his team.

Greg C.--Is that a resume that would persuade YOU to trade up in the 3RD round, giving up a 5th rounder, to??? There certainly had to be better prospects to use a 3RD round pick on.

It was a crap pick, no doubt about it. But there's no need to make it look any crappier than it was. Clay Matthews didn't start till his senior year either. Ted traded up to get him, and he seems to be doing just fine. Often, players who don't make a big splash till their senior year are up-and-comers who are improving very quickly and have yet to reach their peak.

I think the problem with taking a punter so high, in general, is that punting, like place kicking, is such a mental thing, making it impossible to tell how a player coming out of college is going to handle the pressure of the NFL. You don't have a lot of measurables to fall back on when judging a punter or kicker. There are plenty of guys out there with strong legs, but very few of them can succeed in the NFL.

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Who's the idiot that started this thread?

Even though he singlehandedly lost of the Redskins and Bears game, this guy was phenomenal today. Time to give him his props. Way to go Masthay!!!

no kiddking, that millertime is a frickin moron :)

8 for a 44 avg, and a 55 long. What a game for him when the team needed it!

Lots of punts downed inside the 20 too.

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