Falcons Sign Punter from UGA
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The Atlanta Falcons have signed punter Cameron Nizialek.
The 26-year-old punter spent the first three weeks of the 2020 season on the Falcons practice squad. The University of Georgia product has also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens but has not appeared in an NFL game.
Nizialek averaged 45.0 yards per punt with the Bulldogs in 2017.
In a corresponding move, the Falcons have waived punter Sterling Hofrichter with an injury designation.
Hofrichter punted for the Falcons last year. He averaged 42.5 yards per punt on 56 punts. His 42.5 yards per punt placed him 34th in the NFL among players with more than 20 punts.
The short punts typically meant short returns. Atlanta finished second in the NFL in punt return average against at only 5.5 yards per return.
Still, Hofrichter finished 28th in net punting average at 39.3 yards per punt, well off the league leader Jake Bailey of the Patriots at 45.6 yards per punt.
New general manager Terry Fontenot has made a concerted effort to improve Atlanta's special teams. Only kicker Younghoe Koo was a standout in 2020, earning a Pro-Bowl nod.
Koo made 37 of 39 field goal attempts last year including an astounding 8/8 on kicks 50 yards or more.
Atlanta signed first-team All-Pro kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson and drafted the nation's leader in punt returns, Avery William, out of Boise State.
Patterson averaged 29.1 yards per kick return last season with Chicago.
Williams is expected to bolster the return game right away. He led the nation in kick return yards in 2020, and he was third in punt return average at 15.3 per return.
