DALY: With Aussie Sav Rocca, Redskins' punting is off on the right foot
Unorthodox. It’s just a matter of whether they can take to the disciplines of our game.”That’s essentially how it began for Rocca. His body had been pretty well worn out by the Australian game, he decided, but he thought he might be able to make it in the NFL as a punter. And the pay in America, even a minimum salary, was a lot better than in Australia , where a 10-year veteran might earn $80,000.
Besides, McBriar and Graham already had blazed the trail - as had Darren Bennett (San Diego Chargers/Miami Dolphins, 1995-2003) before them. Heck, if you want to go further back, Colin Ridgway, pride of Melbourne, punted briefly for the Dallas Cowboys in 1965. And if you want to go really far back, Pat O’Dea, the celebrated “Kangaroo Kicker,” came out of Victoria in the 1890s to star at Wisconsin, where he boomed a 62-yard field goal with the rugby-shaped ball and could punt the length of the field.
Rocca hasn’t made the Pro Bowl like Bennett and McBriar have (twice each), but he’s finished in the upper half of punters the past three seasons, posting net averages of 37.9, 38.3 and 39 yards. That’s certainly better than the Redskins ‘ punters did in those years (33.4, 36.1 and 33.7).
He also, at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, has the kind of heft Smith looks for at the position. As Smith put it, “When you’ve got a big, strong guy, their misses aren’t [usually] terrible punts. They don’t kill you. Sometimes, if you have little guys — and everybody misses ‘em — their misses can hurt you, field position-wise.”
The transition from Aussie ball to American ball had its trials, Rocca said. “I had to really learn quickly when I came over here. The sports are very different, and the terminology is very different. I knew I could kick the ball far, but to do it consistently was a challenge in the beginning. In Australia , you see, we used to kick the ball, but it was never from a standing start, never off two steps, and you never had to worry about getting it off inside two seconds. I’ve got a good grasp of it now, I think, but you can’t take anything for granted, because it comes back and bites you in the backside.
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The Washington Redskins even have an Aussie punter these days — free agent pickup Sav Rocca, late of the Philadelphia Eagles. Say this for Rocca: He knows how to boot the ball, any which way you like. At Wednesday's workout, for instance,
TAMPA | Tampa Bay was laughed at by some NFL experts for making a punter its only major free-agent acquisition in the offseason. TAMPA BAY PUNTER MICHAEL KOENEN was signed away from division rival Atlanta in the offseason.
They let place-kicker David Akers (San Francisco) and punter Sav Rocca (Washington) sign elsewhere in favor of Henery and Chas Henry, an undrafted free agent from the University of Florida. "These two guys have a chance to make history," April said.
By Chris Day, CNHI News Service CNHI STILLWATER – Oklahoma State's opponents are going to see orange whenever kicker/punter Quinn Sharp strides onto the field this season. Sharp bought a shiny pair of orange and black Nike Alpha Vapor One cleats and
To replace Hodges, the team signed punter Richmond McGee. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Philadelphia in 2008, McGee has spent training camps with the Eagles (2008) and the Bears (2009-10). Cleveland also signed cornerback Dimitri
NFL Free Agency News: Browns Add Four Players, Replace Punter ...
Archie Donald’s ties go back to the University of Toledo where his 424 tackles rank sixth all time. If you’re wondering just how Donald and Toledo have familiarity with the current Browns front office, we should remind you of our piece in 2009 which linked then Eagles general manager Tom Heckert to his longtime friend Tim Beckman. Beckman just so happens to be the head coach of the University of Toledo football program. Beckman and Heckert’s childhood friend Billy Davis (whom was also mentioned back in 2009 with ties to the Browns) just so happens to now be the Browns’ linebackers coach. Donald, as stated above, happens to be a linebacker.
To complete the circle, Gordon – not the shooting guard from the Los Angeles Clippers, unfortunately – spent his collegiate career with the Michigan State Spartans. Current Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, as has been discussed in the past, spent the early portion of his football coaching career with the East Lansing, Michigan program. Gordon’s 49 starts in four seasons set a Michigan State record. The 225-pound outside linebacker is considered undersized for the NFL but his skill set reportedly wowed scouts during the Michigan State pro day. For a team looking to add depth to a relatively weak linebacking corps, the additions (regardless of how permanent) of Donald and Gordon make complete sense. What they can do in their shortened tryout to make the final roster remains to be seen.
I guess it becomes an issue when the Browns sit passively as other teams scoop up significantly better talent. Making it worse is the existence of a large availability under the salary cap.
At least under prior regimes, known FAs were brought in to entise the fan base into buying into the notion that the Browns can compete. Is this the current regime’s way of saying “we’re going to suck for a while, be patient and it will pay off?” Because if it is, they should be wise enough to know that we’ve heard that too many times over the past 12 years and really don’t want to hear it anymore.
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Browns Sign Punter, Cornerback On Off Day | NBC 4i
The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent punter Richmond McGee to replace Reggie Hodges, who suffered a season-ending injury.