Kluwe

[Kreton]

Kluwe is getting cut. If I were Mayhew I'd be looking at him right away.

 

[tpaulus_2]

If we hadn't drafted a punter in the 5th I'd be all about it, but not now.

The fact that Mayhew know Kluwe would be available and still spent a draft pick on a punter tells me he won't be interested.

That's just my two cents, but all the evidence is against it happening, imo...

 

[Kreton]

I dont know about that. Mayhew knew he needed a punter, and Kluwe getting cut is no sure thing to land in Detroit, so he drafted one. Given the choice, I'd like to see them both in camp and may the best man win. Sure we spent a 5th on the rookie, but we have a practice squad, and it isn't like a 5th round pick is indisposable.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I don't think the Lions bring in Kluwe. As only 1 of 2 teams to spend a draft pick on a Punter. I think Detroit is going to give Martin every chance to win the job.

I just hope he ends up worth the 5th round pick they spent on him. As I posted in another thread -- 4 of the top 5 rated kickers, including the guy who won the Ray Guy award in 2011 and 2012 went undrafted.

 

[Mebert]

That is great stat about kickers, but Martin is the Punter. The 2 best punters in the league, Shane Lechler and Andy Lee, went in the 5th and 6th rounds respectively. I am ok with the round they took him in if he takes the punting game from near worst in the league to League average or better.

 

[Kreton]

Well Mebert, we know he wont make us any worse

 

[RobBase]

Kluwe sucks and he's a huge doosh bag/attention whore. I don't want anything to do with that idiot.

 

[Mebert]

Kluwe sucks and he's a huge doosh bag/attention whore. I don't want anything to do with that idiot.

eloquent and to the point!!

 

[Thruthefog]

Yeah. If the Lions wanted attention whores, they could have had T.O. or Chad Johnson on the cheap.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

That is great stat about kickers, but Martin is the Punter. The 2 best punters in the league, Shane Lechler and Andy Lee, went in the 5th and 6th rounds respectively. I am ok with the round they took him in if he takes the punting game from near worst in the league to League average or better.

That is what I meant to post -- the top 5 rated PUNTERS, not kickers. Ryan Allen led the nation in yards per punt at 48.2 and his team led in net punt by like 2 full yards. He went undrafted. He won the Ray Guy award in 2011 and 2012. He also kicked at the Senior Bowl and averaged 52.5 yards per kick, so Schwartz got to see him first hand. If the Lions had drafted this guy -- I would say, I understand spending a 5th round pick.

The guy they drafted averaged 39-40 yards a punter for his 1st 3 years. Last year was the 1st year he had a solid yards per punt average.

In the past 3 years -- only 5 punters TOTAL have been drafted. I just think the pick could have been better spent elsewhere.

 

[Kreton]

In the past 3 years -- only 5 punters TOTAL have been drafted. I just think the pick could have been better spent elsewhere.

I bet he has a much better chance of being in the NFL in 3 years than anyone else in the 5th. He will more than likely contribute more to our team than the vast majority of other 5th round picks in this draft.

I am all for bringing in Kluwe and making him earn his job but that doesn't make him a bad pick.

 

[VulturesRule]

If we hadn't drafted a punter, I would have been all for it. Kluwe is a dome punter, so he fits our MO. Special teams hurt us, a lot, so fixing it makes sense in spending draft picks if management thinks they will help.

Kluwe may be outspoken (I should know, I work in the Twin Cities), but it's his money/time/opinions. Overall, he's a family guy, not too likely to end up on the police blotter, not very much of a liability to whatever team he's on, has had reasonable stats although he trailed off a little the last year or so. Not a great opportunity missed by us having drafted a punter instead seeing if he were to become available.

 

[Coach_Ed_LPW]

If you trade away a pick for a punter he damn sure better be your punter out of principle.

 

[Mebert]

Lions are the only dome team in the NFL that had a net punt average below top 15 in the league. If ever there was a desperate need for a punter the Lions had it. Looking up information on punters is not easy, but out of all of Martins punts only 16 got returned, combine that stat with 3rd best average and is sounds like he might be real good at the coffin corner.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Last year was his first offseason working with a professional kicking coach. He'd never even punted until college, so he's still learning how. He's got a booming leg and good accuracy, though, and I'm more than willing to bet he'll be handling our kickoffs this year, too...

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Last year was his first offseason working with a professional kicking coach. He'd never even punted until college, so he's still learning how.

I still don't like drafting a punter that early and I like it even less now that you made me aware he wasn't even a punter until college and has only worked with a kicking coach for 1 year. LOL.

I agree with ED LPW though -- if you trade down almost 30 spots and draft a punter in the 5th round -- he had better be the starting punter just out of principle.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I bet he has a much better chance of being in the NFL in 3 years than anyone else in the 5th. He will more than likely contribute more to our team than the vast majority of other 5th round picks in this draft.

We really have no clue what he is going to do or what any of the 5th round picks are going to do. I'd much rather see the Lions try and find a diamond in the rough who slipped thru the cracks than spend a 5th round pick on a punter. As I said -- only 5 punters have even been drafted in the last 3 years combined. After Detroit took Martin -- no other punter was drafted.

If Martin turns out to be a great punter -- I'll come on here and admit i'm wrong. I just think drafting a punter in the 5th round is a wasted pick.

 

[Old Lion]

Yeah. If the Lions wanted attention whores, they could have had T.O. or Chad Johnson on the cheap.

or kept Titus Young