The Philadelphia Eagles currently lack a punter on their official roster, but the good news is that the Green Bay Packers just cut Pat O’Donnell, their starting punter last season.
For the Eagles, this leaves a legitimate option sitting in free agency instead of having to settle for their former starting punter Arryn Siposs, who's now on the practice squad.
O’Donnell’s NFL career has spanned nine seasons. Drafted in 2014 by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round, he would go on to play eight seasons in Soldier Field before taking a Lambeau leap to Green Bay.
Although O’Donnell has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team in his career, he’s carved out a near decade-long career by being a quality starter. His 2,313 punting yards last season ranked No. 28 in the league, still more than Philly’s leading punter Siposs, who ranked No. 30 in the NFL regarding total punt yardage.
Despite his increased age, O’Donnell’s leg seems fresh as ever. Last season, over 46 percent of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, the highest percentage of his career.
After nearly winning the Super Bowl last year, the Eagles don’t need much more to seal the deal this season. A few extra yards on a punt could've been the difference between whether a team like the Kansas City Chiefs gets to score in crunch time or comes up empty-handed.
Following their loss in the championship, the Eagles brought in talented running backs like D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny to help their offense and drafted college football champions Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith to improve an already elite defense’s pass rush.
If the Eagles really want to improve their team across the board this offseason, it won’t cost much. They can go dumpster diving through the Packers’ trash and sign O’Connell. A quality punter who could help contribute toward a Super Bowl win in February would certainly help heal the special teams wounds from a season ago.
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