University of Pittsburgh punter to compete with Kapinos, Brooks
The battle for the Green Bay Packers punting job has become a three-legged race.
A solid tryout at last weekends rookie orientation camp sealed a contract offer for former University of Pittsburgh punter Adam Graessle, whose strong leg and improved consistency grabbed the Packers attention at a kicking combine last month.
Out of football since 2006, Graessle swings directly into an open competition with Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks for a position that became a major liability last season.
I was pretty consistent, Graessle said on Monday of his performance at rookie camp, where the Packers also worked out former Louisiana Tech punter Chris Keagle.
I think thats what they were looking for. They know I have leg strength and I can hit the big ball. So, they just wanted to see that I was consistent and wanted to see if I was coachable, I think was the most important thing.
In all, the Packers signed four players out of 21 who tried out over the weekend: Graessle, offensive tackle Dane Randolph and defensive end Dean Muhtadi of Maryland and cornerback Trevor Ford of Troy.
In a somewhat surprising move, the Packers also released three-year veteran Jason Hunter, a core special-teams player who was slated to move from end to outside linebacker in the new 3-4 defense.
This offseason, the Packers gave Hunter the $1.01 million restricted free-agent tender, indicating they at least planned to look at him in the new scheme. But then they selected two outside linebackers, Southern Californias Clay Matthews in Round 1 and Colorados Brad Jones in Round 7, as part of an eight-man draft class that General Manager Ted Thompson apparently felt gave him enough depth to let Hunter go.
Hunters agent, Robert Walker, said he hadnt gotten an explanation for the decision and doesnt expect his client to be out of work for long.
Hes very grateful, thankful, Walker said of Hunter, who joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Division I-AA Appalachian State in 2006. Hes pressing on now, looking toward the future. Hes excited about the opportunities that are in front of him to play with another team.
Thompson was not available for comment.
Hunter led the Packers with 25 special-teams tackles in 2007 but had only three last season a drop that coincided with the teams overall struggles on special teams, beginning with the decision to replace punter Jon Ryan with Derrick Frost just before the season.
That makes Graessle the most intriguing among the four tryout players who signed, because he has at least a chance to win a starting job.
Kapinos performed adequately after replacing Frost with four games to go last season, grossing 39.2 yards and netting 34.5 on 17 punts, with seven downed inside the 20.
Brooks, a sixth-round draft pick by Washington last year, beat out Frost in training camp but lasted only six games with the Redskins. He battled a sore right hip flexor while posting NFL-worst averages of 39.6 gross and 32.1 net before getting cut.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, Graessle towers over Kapinos (6-1, 230) and Brooks (6-0, 204) and has a powerful leg to match. It helped him go from highly recruited prep punter at Dublin (Ohio) Coffman High School where he also caught passes from Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, brother-in-law of Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk to all-conference performer at Pitt.
In three seasons as the Panthers punter, Graessle averaged 42.6 yards gross on 169 punts, ranking in the top 31 nationally all three seasons. He also was Pitts kickoff specialist.
It was enough to earn Graessle an invite to the 2007 scouting combine. But he was inconsistent at the combine, went undrafted and then failed to stick in tryouts with Buffalo and Detroit. He spent much of the past two years working out on his own in and around Columbus, Ohio, and working a temp job at the headquarters of the clothing label Abercrombie & Fitch.
About six months ago, Graessle hired agent Mark Mersel, who connected him with noted kick doctor Paul Assad. Graessle, 24, credits his work with Assad for cleaning up his technique and making him more consistent.
Shawn Slocum, who replaced the retired Mike Stock as Packers special-teams coordinator after last season, started talking with Graessle after watching his performance at a kicking combine last month in Arizona. There, according to Mersel, Graessle averaged 58 yards and 4.9 seconds of hang time, including some 70-yarders.
Coupled with a steady effort at the Packers rookie camp, Graessle earned himself a longer look in Green Bay, though theres no guarantee hell be one of the two punters they take to training camp. He joined the Packers offseason strength and conditioning program on Monday.
Its real exciting, Graessle said. For two years, Ive been working hard. Im enjoying (getting signed), but really, in the moment, Im just trying to do the best I can.
Like Graessle, Randolph (6-5, 300) received a three-year contract with no signing bonus. A converted defensive lineman, Randolph put on about 40 pounds in college and played in 41 games, starting 24 at right tackle. He impressed scouts at Marylands pro day by running the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds and benching 225 pounds 29 times. But he wasnt drafted and garnered only tryout offers from the Packers, Baltimore and Washington.
Muhtadi (6-3, 295) played mostly defensive tackle at Maryland and projects as an end in the Packers 3-4 scheme. A transfer from Division III Christopher Newport University, Muhtadi appeared in 19 games at Maryland, starting three as a senior. He didnt run at pro day because of a hamstring injury.
Ford (6-0, 188) spent two years, including a redshirt season, at Florida State before transferring to Troy. He played in seven games as a junior and became a starter as a senior, finishing last season with 49 tackles, 12 pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. He also performed well at Troys pro day, where he ran the 40 in 4.49 seconds.