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Bills declare early winner in important training camp position battle?
Cincinnati Bengals punter Brad Robbins (10) kicks the ball away in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium in downtown Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. The Browns dealt the Bengals a 24-3 loss to begin the season. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

A series of roster moves by the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday included the surprise release of punter Jake Camarda, leaving Brad Robbins as the lone punter on the current 90-man roster.

While Camarda vs Robbins was assumed to be a camp-long battle, it appears the Bills have already declared a winner, at least for the time being.

The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia reported, "Brad Robbins was clearly the better punter through the open spring sessions -- better & more consistent hang time plus good yardage. But the contract for Robbins signals he has to continue earning the job. I wouldn't rule out another punter being added if Robbins struggles."

Robbins struggling wouldn't be a total surprise, as his 2023 season was one to forget. He was dead last among punters with a minimum of 18 punts in EPA, while then-Tampa Bay Buccaneer Camarda ranked ninth.

If the Bills want more competition for Robbins, the most notable free agent punter is former San Francisco 49er Mitch Wishnowsky. Fourth in EPA from Joe Marino's chart in 2023, he was released by San Francisco this offseason. The 49ers replaced him with former Jet Thomas Morstead, who has a relationship with 49ers' current special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. According to Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, "He is healthy, so, he's going to go to a team and help a team out a lot."

Wishnowsky spent six years in San Francisco, where he averaged 45.6 yards per punt and recorded 12,700 net punt yards.

While a punter on the same team as Josh Allen won't need to see the field that often, their responsibility as the holder for Tyler Bass is arguably their most important job. Robbins seems to have secured the punter/holder spot, but it may be temporary, as Brandon Beane could look to add more competition to improve his special teams unit.

This article first appeared on Buffalo Bills on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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