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Broncos shaving years off kickers

Job candidates to replace veterans are 24 or younger

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 27, 2008 at 5:43 p.m.
Updated May 27, 2008 at 11:53 p.m.

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Though placekicker Matt Prater was only 1-for-4 on field goals for Atlanta in 2007, he still is considered the front-runner to replace Jason Elam, who now is a member of the Falcons.

Photo by Doug Benc / Getty Images/2007

Though placekicker Matt Prater was only 1-for-4 on field goals for Atlanta in 2007, he still is considered the front-runner to replace Jason Elam, who now is a member of the Falcons.

Garrett Hartley was an accurate kicker for the University of Oklahoma, making 32-of-35 field-goal attempts during his final two seasons with the Sooners.

Photo by Brian Bahr / Getty Images/2006

Garrett Hartley was an accurate kicker for the University of Oklahoma, making 32-of-35 field-goal attempts during his final two seasons with the Sooners.

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They are baby boomers, these five punters and kickers who are competing for two open spots on the Broncos' roster.

None is older than 24.

None has more than three games of NFL experience.

Each is under the microscope.

"But there's a lot of talent, no doubt about it," said Sam Paulescu, who punted in last year's season finale after a stint in the Dallas Cowboys' camp. "We're probably the youngest group in the league, but I definitely feel we're one of the most talented."

And most anonymous, surely.

Only a year ago, Jason Elam and Todd Sauerbrun were unquestionably the Broncos' kicker and punter. And they had a combined six Pro Bowl selections.

But as the calendar turned, so did events.

Off-field issues sent Sauerbrun to the career coffin corner.

Contract structure led to Elam's departure from Denver in free agency and into an Atlanta Falcons uniform.

So off came the training wheels. The kiddie corps has arrived.

There are punters Brett Kern (age 22), Paulescu (24) and Danny Baugher (24) and kickers Matt Prater (23) and Garrett Hartley (22).

"I've got one year of experience and I'm considered the veteran," Prater, the front-runner to replace Elam, said sheepishly. "But it's a good situation for all of us."

It's primarily the job of special- teams coordinator Scott O'Brien to sort out everything.

"Somebody's going to come to the front," he said.

O'Brien is the same assistant who, last year, after one of many late-game close calls, opined his profession was the reason whiskey was invented.

One might suggest a fully stocked cabinet will be in order the next several months, given the task at hand.

But O'Brien appeared at ease Tuesday as the Broncos resumed their two-week quarterback camp after the holiday weekend.

His biggest task might be guiding all five specialists through the psychological land mines they'll face and ensuring they have the mental wherewithal to handle them, given all the assembled inexperience instead of any physical shortcomings.

"We feel we have a pretty good blend," O'Brien said. "We're young overall, no question about it. But they have to start somewhere, and so far, physically, they've all shown the ability to be able to do it at this level."

That said, in the first five days of workouts, there have been only two full punt-team drills with protection and live returns.

In the first, Paulescu and Baugher, who spent time on New England's practice squad in 2006 and competed for the Patriots job last summer, split practice snaps; in the second, rookie Kern went solo.

Hartley and Prater are on a twice-weekly kicking regimen, which will be increased to three, then four sessions by summer camp in late July.

They'll kick live field goals for the first time this week.

The shared approach will continue for the next eight weeks, when a pecking order will be established and, quite possibly, one of the combatants will be lopped off the roster given the new, stricter 80-man roster limits.

For now, Paulescu and Prater are the front-runners.

And while there's always a chance a veteran can be plucked off waivers deep into camp, the Broncos' thinking at this juncture is at least two of the baby boomers are here to stay.

"Time moves on. It really does," O'Brien said of the makeover at the two spots. "I can look at every situation that I've coached in, starting with Cleveland (in 1991) and picking out a kicker in Matt Stover, who's still with that organization, or picking up a punter off the street that people said was washed up in Brian Hansen, who punted another seven years after that, something like that, or moving on to Tom Tupa, who really didn't punt in this league (after initially playing quarterback and holding). . . .

"There's always options. You're always looking for the best one. And in the long run, it's, hopefully, a young guy who has the ability physically to do it and . . . he's your guy for a long time."

Leg strength doesn't appear to be an issue for any of the combatants. Still to be accomplished is working through drills enough that a screaming throng of 80,000 won't be a distraction. Elam and Sauerbrun had experienced every imaginable condition.

Kern, Paulescu, Prater, Baugher and Hartley have a combined five games of regular-season experience and none in the postseason.

"The skills, physically, you're looking for are there," O'Brien said. "When they hit the ball, they know it, I see it, I hear it, everybody else sees it. That part of the question, I think, has been answered. Now, can we do it on a consistent basis when it counts? So far, all indications are good. Until the preseason and all those situations come up and how we handle it or how they learn from either good or bad really determines how far they go and how far they last."

On the bright side, the team might be able to save a few bucks on shaving cream as well as a possible roster spot if a dual kickoff/field-goal threat emerged.

"We've got a lot of young, fresh legs and we're just going to go at it," Paulescu said. "You never know what (the Broncos will) do. Maybe they'll bring in a veteran. But we're just going to work our butts off and see what happens."

FULL HOUSE

The five combatants for the Broncos' punting and placekicking jobs.

Punters

Brett Kern, rookie free agent, Toledo

The skinny: Averaged 42.3 yards on 189 punts in 47 games, with 59 landing inside the 20-yard line. Finalist for Ray Guy Award as college football's top punter as a senior, when he ranked second in NCAA Division I-A in gross average (46.1).

Sam Paulescu, second-year pro, Oregon State

The skinny: Signed for final game of 2007 season after Todd Sauerbrun and Paul Ernster were released. Averaged 44.2 gross/40 net in finale against Minnesota. Spent time in Dallas' camp in 2007. Had 21 punts of more than 50 yards in college. Was out of football in 2006.

Danny Baugher, first-year pro, Arizona

The skinny: Joined Cincinnati as a college free agent in May 2006 but spent most of rookie year on New England's practice squad after the Patriots signed him that October. Averaged 43.4 yards in NFL Europa in 2007 with Rhein. Was a finalist for Ray Guy Award as a senior in 2005 after leading Division I-A with 47.5 average. Signed with the Broncos last month.

Placekickers

Garrett Hartley, rookie free agent, Oklahoma

The skinny: Ranked third in Oklahoma history in field goals made (47) and sixth in points (310). Converted 13-of-15 field-goal attempts as a senior. Best year was as a junior, when he went 19-for-20 on field goals with 31 touchbacks on 78 kickoffs.

Matt Prater, second-year pro, Central Florida

The skinny: Front-runner to replace Jason Elam with strong leg to handle kickoffs. Entered the NFL with Detroit in May 2006, then headed to Miami and Atlanta. Handled kickoffs for Falcons for first two games in 2007, with three touchbacks on four attempts, but was only 1-for-4 on field goals. Joined Broncos in December, with seven kickoffs for 67.3 average.

Comments

  • May 27, 2008

    6:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    myerda00 writes:

    My picks (and I go by just what I read) are Kern for punter and Prater for kicker. Prater because Elam gave him high kudos and Kern because he was mostly rated the best out of college.
    Let the youth play on !!!!!

  • May 27, 2008

    8:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Battlehoss writes:

    Better pick the right ones, the wrong ones will come back to haunt you! But then, maybe you don't have the right one. My guess... a vet yet to be signed.

  • May 28, 2008

    8:44 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    bronc4evah writes:

    With this much youth and inexperience, we will have to grit our teeth a time or two, as they adapt and learn the pro level of kicking. Hopefully, our offense will take some of the pressure off and help these guys get the experience they need in order to settle in for long dependable careers.

  • May 28, 2008

    8:48 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SiquePupi writes:

    My bet is that after last year, they are more concerned with field position than accuracy on FGs and that is why we are seeing so many young kickers in camp competing. Maybe we will see the vet brought in last minute for FGs if they are overly concerned with the accuracy of the player they pick for kickoffs.

  • May 28, 2008

    9:30 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheeDude writes:

    Kickers are entirely too boring to spend this much time talking about.

  • May 28, 2008

    9:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    benn writes:

    shoulda drafted Mason Crosby last year

  • May 28, 2008

    11:11 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ShowMe writes:

    OK, I could kick field goals at Invesco...better try these guys out at sea level...

  • May 28, 2008

    5:25 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    AKuser writes:

    As long as the opposing offense does not start every drive at the 40 the Broncos will be making progress.