Sam Martin could be an absolute game-changer at punter for the Denver Broncos in 2020.
It’s difficult to quantify the value of a punter, but the Denver Broncos have been sorely lacking in the punting department since Britton Colquitt’s tremendous playoff run in the 2015 season.
Riley Dixon, Marquette King, and Colby Wadman have all attempted to become the Broncos’ long-term fix at punter, but nothing has really materialized.
In 2019, the Broncos were the sixth-worst team in the NFL in net punting, averaging 40.4 net yards per punt.
In 2018, the Broncos were seventh-worst in net punting average. In 2017, sixth-worst.
Are you sensing the theme here?
Sam Martin to the rescue?
Although coverage units certainly play a role, the Broncos are swapping out the league’s sixth-worst net punting unit for the league’s sixth-best net punting unit.
Martin and the Detroit Lions ranked sixth-best in the NFL last season with a net punting average of 43.6 yards, and Martin had 31 punts inside the 20 with seven touchbacks.
The Broncos emphasized upgrading the punting game in general this offseason, not only bringing in Martin to kick the ball but also bringing in a number of players throughout the course of the offseason like Florida Gators special teams ace Tyrie Cleveland and a couple of new, athletic long snappers to compete for the top job, previously held by Casey Kreiter.
The punting game is so critical in the NFL, especially when you have a young quarterback. Having a strong punting game allows your offense the slack necessary to sputter every once and again, flipping field position without an immediate threat of the other team scoring.
The Broncos have struggled with the field position battle for four seasons and Martin can hopefully help rectify that.
One thing he noted in the video linked above is that the NFL is all about consistency anymore. There are plenty of punters who can boom the ball, which Colby Wadman could, but you have to kick to your coverage and set your coverage unit up for success in general.
Wadman was not able to get that to click over the past couple of seasons.
Hopefully, Martin can come into Denver and bring the same field-flipping ability and consistency he showed in Detroit.