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Masthay isn’t in the Packers Driver Seat afterall

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Tim Masthay (8)

Tim Masthay (8)

Just one day after Mike McCarthy said Tim Masthay was in the Drivers Seat, the Packers claimed punter Jacob Schum off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and released Masthay.

Schum is a second-year player out of the University of Buffalo and played in all 16 games for the Buccaneers last season, averaging 41.9 yards per punt (38.0 net average) on 56 attempts with 15 landing inside the 20-yard line and a long of 60 yards.

Masthay played in 96 regular-season games (2010-15) for the Packers, punting 390 times with a 44.2-yard average (38.7 net average), landing 132 punts inside the 20-yard line and recording a long of 71 yards.

Schum will wear number-10 for the Packers and will punt on Thursday night in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mortell’s journey comes to an end in Green Bay

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Peter Mortell

Peter Mortell

Green Bay native Peter Mortell’s attempt to make the Packers 53-man roster came to an end on Monday.  Mortell, who grew up in Green Bay and played his high school football at nearby Green Bay Notre Dame high school, was released as the Packers attempt to get down to the mandated roster limit of 75 players by 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Mortell, who went on to punt collegiately at Minnesota, gave veteran Tim Masthay a run for his money.  In three preseason games, Mortell punted nine times with a gross average of 45.1 yards and a net average of 42.0.  Masthay’s numbers fell short of that, nine punts with a gross average of 42.8 yards and a net average of only 31.6 yards.  Masthay did perform slightly better in training camp practices.

It’s the second straight season that Masthay has had to face a competition in training camp.  He beat out Cody Mandell last season. [Read more…]

Packers Open OTA workouts to the public today

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Packers workout last season at Ray Nitschke Field.

Packers workout last season at Ray Nitschke Field.

Green Bay Packers fans can get their first peek at the 2016-17 Green Bay Packers with the start of organized team activities (OTA’s) today.

The last month has been all about weight lifting, conditioning, diet and meetings.  Today, players and coaches will practice on Ray Nitschke Field (weather permitting), starting with an 11:30 a.m. practice.

The Packers will be without four rookies, who were drafted from schools that used the quarter system.  That means they can’t join their team until their schools graduate.

In the old days, whatever offseason workouts that took place, they did so with little fanfare.  Today is different.  Fans will fill the stands and be lined up along the fences, watching their favorite players and scouting out the team’s future. [Read more…]

Mortell is in familiar settings at Lambeau Field (AUDIO)

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Peter Mortell at Packers Orientation

Peter Mortell at Packers Orientation

Undrafted punters don’t normally draw a lot of attention, but circumstances are different for Green Bay Packers rookie Peter Mortell.

Mortell is from Green Bay.  He played his high school football at nearby Green Bay Notre Dame high school.  His grandfather was the team’s game clock operator for more than three decades before his father took over in 2000.

Mortell knows his way around Lambeau Field.  He’s been attending games since middle school and worked as a game-day assistant in the press box during high school.

After being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota, Mortell said he didn’t seem to be nervous with his surroundings while taking part in the teams rookie orientation last week.

Mortell will be battling with veteran Tim Masthay for the Packers’ punting job.  But Mortell said he isn’t looking at this as competing against Masthay, rather an opportunity to learn. [Read more…]

Packers wrap up the practice week today

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David Bakhtiari

David Bakhtiari

The Green Bay Packers wrap up the practice week with a short workout today before heading east for Sunday’s wildcard playoff game against the Washington Redskins.

The Packers listed 18 players on their injury report on Friday.  Corner Sam Shields is listed as doubtful with a concussion.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari walked without a limp in the locker room on Friday but offered no comment when asked about his availability for Sunday’s game.  He is listed as questionable on the injury report.

If Bakhtiari can’t play, Mike McCarthy said earlier in the week that Josh Sitton would stay at left guard.  It would appear to leave J.C. Tretter to play left tackle as the most likely replacement.

Masthay sets franchise mark

Punter Tim Masthay finished the regular season with a punting net average of 40.2, which ranked 14th in the NFL, but set a Packers franchise record.

Masthay’s previous best ranking in net average was 17th in 2010.  His previous best net average was 39.0 in 2013.

Goode has surgery

Long snapper Brett Goode underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee on December 28.  His contract expires at the end of the season.  He will be an unrestricted free agent.

His replacement, rookie Rick Lovato, has a two-year minimum deal that runs through 2016.

Packers close the preseason against New Orleans tonight

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Tim Masthay (8)

Tim Masthay (8)

The Green Bay Packers have one more preseason test, tonight (6 pm) against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.  It’s a game that will feature very few starters, if at all.  It’s about giving reserves one final shot to make an impression in their attempt to win a roster spot with the Packers.  It’s also about staying as healthy as possible with the season opener against the Chicago Bears just over a week away.

So what do we look for tonight?  After rookie Brett Hundley completed 22 of 31 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns last week, we’re all wondering if Hundley can do it again.  Scott Tolzien, who has been cleared to play after a concussion, is expected to start tonight, then give way to Hundley.  Hundley won the third QB job after his outing against the Eagles and the Packers released Matt Blanchard this week in the first roster cut to 75 players.

Khyri Thornton and Carl Bradford are last years third and fourth round draft picks and could be on their way out.  Both have been so disappointing that the Packers may be ready  to cut ties, which is rare for such high draft picks to be released after just one NFL season. [Read more…]

Packers add competition for Masthay

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Tim Masthay

Tim Masthay

After a sub par 2014 season for punter Tim Masthay, the Green Bay Packers are adding some competition to the position by signing former Alabama punter Cody Mandell.

Mandell was cut by the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 9.  During his senior season at Alabama, in 2013, Mandell was named to the all-SEC team and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award.

Masthay finished 30th in net average (37 yards), 26th in gross average (44.1) and 32nd in punts inside the 20-yard line (14). [Read more…]

Nothing special about Green Bay special teams

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Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum

Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum

The Green Bay Packers got off to a decent start on special teams this past season, but the unit took a nose dive in the second half and finished dead last according to the annual NFL special-teams rankings released on Friday by the Dallas Morning News.

The Packers suffered five of their seven blocked kicks in games 10-16.  Punter Tim Masthay had his worst season in Green Bay and the kickoff return unit struggled.

Green Bay’s Micah Hyde did return two punts for touchdowns and kicker Mason Crosby had another outstanding season.

The Dallas Morning News special teams rankings don’t include playoff games, but that didn’t stop the Packers from continuing their struggles in the playoffs. [Read more…]

Packers trying to get tough

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Somebody needs to alert the Green Bay Packers that toughness isn’t hitting the other

Randall Cobb

Randall Cobb

teams quarterback well after he’s out-of-bounds.  It isn’t pushing and shoving at the end of every play.

Being told the team lacked toughness for the past year or more has clearly gotten under their skin.  But they still have more to do, to shed the image.

Toughness in the NFL is smashing somebody in the mouth before the whistle blows and preferably on the way to making a play.  It’s the offensive and defensive lines winning the battle at the point of attack, pushing their respective opponents backwards.

Part of the definition can also include defensive backs actually wrapping up and making a tackle.  Those defensive backs should take a lesson from punter Tim Masthay who showed text-book tackle form against the 49ers on a kick during yesterday’s 34-28 loss at Candle Stick. [Read more…]

Masthay on possible huge NFL rule change

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The kickoff may soon be a thing of the past in the National Football League.

TIME magazine on Thursday had a story on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that included his mention of the league considering eliminating the kickoff for player-safety reasons.

Masthay’s role looks to increase if the proposed rule change goes through

Green Bay Packer‘s punter Tim Masthay calls it a “quirky” rule change.

AUDIO: Masthay on possible effect of rule change :22

Before Thursday night’s NFL game, Goodell said he thought the story is interesting and confirmed that the NFL’s competition committee will review the idea.

This possible rule change would be as follows:

After a team would score, they would receive the ball on their own 30 yard line, and it would be 4th down, with 15 yards to go.

Just like a regular 4th down play, the idea is for teams to punt the ball, run a fake punt, or go for it.  If the team would not make it, the opposition would take over on downs like normal.

The idea is to minimize player impact on kickoffs and increase player safety. Masthay says punt plays are less physical.

AUDIO: Masthay on punt play physicality :16

“To me it just adds more punt plays…” says Masthay.

AUDIO: Masthay on what this means :16

One thing is certain, the emphasis on punting and having a good punter would immediately become a big factor.