Jake Camarda Does Not Need To Be “Punt God”
May 2nd, 2022
Bucs P Jake Camarda.
The “Punt God” is angry.
Matt Araiza, known as “Punt God” for his booming punts at San Diego State that made him the most famous punter in recent memory, is irked that NFL teams had the nerve to draft two punters before the Buffalo Bills selected him in the sixth round.
One of the two punters drafted before “Punt God” was the Georgia punter Jake Camarda, taken by the Bucs in the fourth round. This did not go over well with Bucs fans.
So Joe brings Bucs fans assuring words. Camarda does not need to be “Punt God” and boom 80-yard punts. Per stat guy and handicapper Warren Sharp, Camarda only needs to be accurate.
Per Sharp’s research, the Bucs were one of the best teams in the NFL for moving the ball. Not many Bucs possessions ended up with punts.
the team with the LOWEST percentage of drives ending in punts the last two years…
the Bills…
just drafted the punt god
fewest % of drives ending in punts 2020-2021:
26% – Bills <<
28% – Chiefs
30% – Packers, Raiders
31% – Titans, Cardinals, Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, Bucs— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 30, 2022
So there you have it, Bucs fans. Camarda doesn’t have to outkick “Punt God.” Camarda only needs to be accurate with his punts in order to be effective because the Bucs are likely going to move the ball.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:02 am
Joe, thank you.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:08 am
I don’t understand why there are not more punt’s angled out of bounds
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:13 am
A fine pick.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:14 am
I can understand fans being upset by the drafting of a punter…..most thinking we could get one in the 7th or UDFA….
The question is…..which punter. When Jordan Stout went off the board a couple of picks above the Bucs….the Bucs pounced.
I always believed we would draft a punter….knowing the money situation and the likelihood we could improve on Pinion.
I think the difference with this guy is his skill in the kicking game…..he can be a backup FG kickier and is outstanding on kickoffs…..he also is an experienced holder….
This was a good pick….
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:19 am
We just drafted him too early. 4th round? Come on, 5th AT LEAST
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:28 am
Putting the ball inside the 10 sometimes can be the turn point in a game. It was a great pick.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:29 am
I’m starting to believe this is the only football picture of our new punter that exists. Believe I’ve seen it four or five times leading articles written since he was drafted. Anyways, I find the punting chatter amusing. I mean, one drafted punter is mad because other punters were drafted before him?! When this happens with other positions the apparently insulted player is interviewed and then let’s the rest of the NFL know that they will pay forever, haha. If this gives Buffalo’s new punt boy more juice in his kicks have at it. As long as our guy does his job. But yeah Joe, find another pic?
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:31 am
4th round, not 5th….and i love the pick.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:34 am
There’s just something about this team and “kickers”. IMO, it’s more of a cost-cutting move. However, there is value in field position, especially given this team’s rotten special teams over the years.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:37 am
I’d lying if I said it wouldn’t be funny if Punt God became the second coming of Rosen.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:39 am
The move makes plenty sense (and “cents” if Camarda works out and I think he’s gonna be just fine…if not some level of really good to great)
I didn’t mind this pick at all and the reason “Punt God” went so low was he doesn’t get hang time on his punts like Stout and Camarda do. If you’re gonna choose a Punter late in the Draft and save some $ in the process (every penny counts while Brady is here), you could’ve have picked a better one this year coming out of the SEC as the Conferences top Punter.
Heck, if our receivers go down again this year like last, we might need that 4.5 speed on the outside at WR in a pinch for a few deep ball fades or the alike 😂
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:48 am
The advantage of Araiza is that he is a southpaw. The ball comes off different than the right foot of every other kicker. Teams can’t practice catching unless they bring in a guy for a one week contract. Other than that I don’t care. A punter is a punter. And 4th round is too early!
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:51 am
tampabayallday Says:
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:19 am
We just drafted him too early. 4th round? Come on, 5th AT LEAST
Keep in mind at the time we had no 5th or 6th round picks….only 7th.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:53 am
FU Saints.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:54 am
Why does it look like he is wearing a cheap party store Halloween wig?
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:11 am
Punters have been known to affect the outcome of a game. When Brady is gone, I expect we will all be thankful for this pick. Camarda makes this team better. That’s the bottom line. How long has it been since a fake punt was a viable option for the Bucs? We got the fastest punter in the history of the NFL, and people complain about the round he was drafted. Sheesh.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:14 am
4.5 40!
He’ll not just punt.
He’ll pick up first downs with his speed!
He’s Punt Yahweh!!!
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:17 am
Yeah, that is not the best pic. Makes him look like he is wearing a cheap Halloween wig.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:17 am
Punters started going off the board in the 4th but fan says we should have waited at least until the 5th round. Same goes for RBs.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:17 am
Camarda only needs to be accurate with his punts in order to be effective
– that assumes he doesn’t suck in pre season and gets cut.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:17 am
Does this mean the White Stripes have officially disbanded?
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:18 am
If he turns out to be a good pick it doesn’t matter, same with the first round. Every year there are consensus players everyone is coveting that either flop or just have starting quality careers but not the special player that they were expected to have.
It is only in hindsight that the muddy water clears up
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:19 am
Special teams for sure needed a boost. Nice pick.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:25 am
The Slimy Saints just landed the Honey Badger.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:26 am
Punters are really important! Don’t believe the Joes! 😉
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:26 am
Wondered this for years. Finally got the answer from a special teams coach: Teams try to use punts to force a turnover. Can’t get a turnover if the ball is out of bounds.
Wish teams would kick it out of bounds more. Can’t return a punt if the ball is out of bounds.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:37 am
I don’t disagree Joe, but the logic is fallacious. If the Bills’ drives end in punts only 28% of the time and the Bucs 31% of the time, and both teams are SB contenders, it seems to me the more efficient team got better value (on paper). Now, if facing off on the SB, I sure as hell hope 4th rd Camarda “out puts” the 6th rd punting God or JL will get an egg facial.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:39 am
Saints are drafting studs and signing pro bowl FAs while the Bucs are trading out of the first round and picking punters in the 4th.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:42 am
SB~LV Says:
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:08 am
The difference between plural and possessive also seems to have escaped you.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:44 am
Bucamania Says:
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:39 am
Oh quit yer b!tching.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:49 am
You know I’m right. Well, maybe you don’t actually.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:53 am
Funny Todd-
Bucamania, I don’t think that take will age well.
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:55 am
@Sasquatch, do you have any independent thoughts beyond snarky insults? How’s my grammar, does it meet your yeti approval?
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:58 am
The money Bucs save by cutting Pinion is very useful , that is why they drafted Camarda. If you wanted a punter , why not move up a bit and get Jordan Stout whose numbers are far far better than Camarda. Draft was a C minus at best , passing on Devin Lloyd was short sighted and foolish as he was the best LB in the draft and was starter ready on Day 1. Ed Ingram LG LSU All-SEC was right there for the taking and you passed again to a total reach Luke whatever his name is. The goal is to win the Bowl right now , but you passed on impact players that are NFL ready on Day 1-Not Good.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:06 am
“I don’t understand why there are not more punt’s angled out of bounds”
Penalty for a mis-hit is too great. On a normal punt if you kick it 15 yards to the side of where you were aiming, it’s no big deal. But if you aim at the sidelines and then kick it too far to one side, you can take 10 yards off the kick. Combine that with the fact that an angled kick already loses significant distance compared to a straight kick, and you’re in real danger of only getting 25-30 net yards on your kick.
A sideline kick can be a great weapon for an accurate punter but it makes the most sense on a short field, where your full distance isn’t needed and the penalty for a mishit is relatively low.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:13 am
LOL, Araiza will be this year’s Tom Brady with that chip. Too bad he probably won’t get many opportunities and he’s a dang punter after all. If he takes his anger out by tackling, I’d understand.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:29 am
He will likely be the Bucs punter, kickoff specialist, and holder on extra points. He is an upgrade and will improve cap space. How many 4th rounders are we excited about that never even play.
However, I admit I’m much more excited about Zyon!!!! He might be one of the top CBs in the draft…only time will tell. He might be a big contributor in the second part of the season when players are banged up.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:36 am
I have no problem with the pick.
They needed a punter and after one came off the board, waiting until the sixth round seemed unlikely. Pinion really fell off last year but the biggest thing is this frees up a couple million to sign GRONK.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:44 am
Joe Says:
May 2nd, 2022 at 10:26 am
It depends on the ST philosophy and how good the D is.
In college my team had a top defense in both yards and points. We pointed to the “coffin corner” inside our 40, and lined up kickoff on the right hash and kicked to the corner, using the sideline to force the return one direction.
As a grad asst., I got the HCs to buy into that philosophy…and it worked, but not because of a solid D (which we did not have) but because we had a lot of speed on coverage teams.
Sometimes I look at the NFL and think “everybody does it this way” on ST’s. No creativity at all.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:47 am
Bucs had no 5th or 6th round picks. They knew all the punters would be gone by their next pick (7th round), and they needed to unload a salary.
The fact that they turned #27 into three picks gave the ability to pull the trigger in the 4th for a punter most likely superior to any FA available.
I am totally fine with this pick. Of course, the first shank in a clutch moment and I’ll be un-fine.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:50 am
They had a 4th round grade on he and Stout. As they Spytek said ‘we had them neck and neck.’ TBBF is correct as soon as Stout was taken by the Ravens in the 4th the Bucs made their move. I wonder if they liked Stout slightly better? Seems like they would have said we had him the highest rated punter not the neck and neck commit if it were the case.
Camarda has great directional, sky’s it and is a tremendous athlete. Easy power. Doesn’t kick it old style flat spiral. He holds it almost vertically and hits the side of the point and uses the energy of the ball like a spring off his foot. He’s going to be a weapon.
May 2nd, 2022 at 11:52 am
*The cap savings is a bonus not the reason. People are getting too hung up on that aspect. They got better at a crucial position.
May 2nd, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Cap savings absolutely was the reason-the money they save by jettisoning Pinion will pay for all picks.
May 2nd, 2022 at 12:43 pm
I wonder about all these expert draft parrots who proclaim 4th round is “too high” for [fill in blank] such as a punter (or kicker) or that 1st round is “too high” for a running back because they heard it spoken by some “expert” on TV once. These Couch GMs then repeat their phrase over and over for years on end like a good parrot. Nobody cares about your canned spam opinions, so stuff a cracker in it if that is the best you have. Real “experts” know when to risk breaking “the rules” and when not too. All that matters is will he be a good\great punter for the Bucs for years to come? We will find out pretty soon for this one.
May 2nd, 2022 at 12:58 pm
I like the pick. Hopefully they took a guy who can star and make a difference on game day for the next 15 years.
May 2nd, 2022 at 1:26 pm
A 4th round pick (which means he gets a 4th round contract) was used on a guy that can be picked up at any local soccer field as an UDFA, so yeah, he actually DOES need to be a “Punt God”.
May 2nd, 2022 at 5:30 pm
I would have though fans seeing a team like Baltimore who always drafts extremely well picking a punter before the Bucs might have given Jason the benefit of the doubt. Not happening.
Some people love to display their ignorance on JBF thread board. It proves you really don’t know what you don’t know.
May 2nd, 2022 at 5:42 pm
I would never try to second guess all of the experts in that draft room. 😀 My favorite pick from all of the interviews is Rashaad White. He is the one that mentioned how his teammates had helped his game and he, theirs. I sure hope he makes it.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:02 pm
Thank you, Joe, for pointing out that the Bucs could have easily gotten Punt God himself in rd 6 or 7. And it would have been fun to watch Punt God boom 80 yarders for the Bucs. But no.
Camarda not only has to do better than Punt God, he’ll have to be Ray Guy, to justify such a high pick.
May 2nd, 2022 at 9:02 pm
The Special Teams coach is doing a press conference tomorrow. Please ask Keith Armstrong why he still has a job. He’s been shielded from criticism since he’s got here. Our ST has been near dead last since 2019. I know at least one of the Joes have been pounding the table for his firing.
May 3rd, 2022 at 1:57 am
Maybe Brady told them he needed a punter? It’s possible. Then they could look into putting him in at WR & give him a try there.😀 Since Godwin will miss some time still.
May 3rd, 2022 at 1:58 am
Brady going deep to Camarda TOUCHDOWN!
May 3rd, 2022 at 10:22 pm
Licht has such a good record drafting special team players, especially returners and kickers, fans needn’t be worried.