2019 Atlanta Falcons Roster Review: Kickers/Punters
“Cut and sign?”
Yeah, cut and paste those three words about a half-dozen times, and you have a summary of the Atlanta Falcons’ 2019 kicking game.
Especially early in the season, the Falcons struggled to find stability at either kicking position, as placekicker Matt Bryant was plagued by inconsistency and the punters couldn’t stay healthy.
Atlanta tried to move on from Bryant before the season even started, releasing him in February to give his spot to Giorgio Tavecchio.
But Tavecchio never made it to the season opener, hitting only four of his nine preseason field-goal attempts. He was cut on the last day of August.
Blair Walsh was brought in for the last week of the preseason, but he, too, was waived with Tavecchio.
The Falcons turned back to Mr. Reliable, the 44-yard-old Bryant, who turned out to be not as reliable as he once was. Age caught up with Bryant, as he missed five field goals on 14 tries in seven games. His season, and possibly his career, came to an end on Oct. 29, when he was waived.
Atlanta then signed Younghoe Koo to replace Bryant. Koo provided a steady leg for the Falcons’ final eight games, making 23 of his 26 field-goal attempts while missing only one extra point. He was twice named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
He also handled the kickoff duties, a job that previously belonged to Bosher when healthy. He shined with onside kicks, allowing the Falcons to recover four of them (though two were called back due to penalties).
Koo is set to become an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, meaning he must sign the minimum salary tender to play in 2020. The Athletic reports the Falcons plan to retain the 25-year-old.
A season after moving on from Bryant, the Falcons might be parting ways with another franchise special teams staple.
Punter Matt Bosher will be an unrestricted free agent after nine years in Atlanta. The 32-year-old spent the majority of his 2019 season on the injured reserve list, punting only nine times for an average of 41.9 yards per kick, almost four yards less than his career average.
The Falcons have been quite mum on how Bosher fits into their 2020 plans. He made more than $2.5 million in 2019, and because of his proven track record, will probably command a greater salary than the majority of the punters on the open market.
Filling in for Bosher, Ryan Allen, Kasey Redfern and Matt Wile all saw action.
Wile fell victim to the injury bug. In mid-October, he injured his groin before playing his third game in a Falcons uniform and was waived with an injury settlement two days later. Based on his average yards per punt (48.3 yards), Wile had the best season of any Falcons’ punter.
Redfern lasted three games in place of Wile and Bosher before he was released. He avoided the medical tent but averaged a team-low 41.2 yards per punt on nine attempts.
Finally, Ryan Allen arrived, and with the exception of one game played by Bosher, finished the season as Atlanta’s punter. The former New England Patriots stalwart appeared in eight games for the Falcons, booting the ball 28 times for 1,172 yards.
He averaged a career-low 41.9 yards per punt but pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 14 of his 28 kicks.
The kicking and punting positions, by their very nature, are fickle. From 2011-2018, Atlanta lucked out, as Bryant and Bosher were models of consistency. Then, 2019 hit.
If the Atlanta Falcons learned anything from their 2019 special teams, it’s competition and backup plans are often necessary. No matter who is the favorite to start at those two positions in 2020, expect the Falcons to bring in multiple players to showcase their legs in training camp and the preseason.
