Bucs To Bring In Punters For Workout

The two names Auman reported were Ryan Stonehouse, a former Tennessee punter who led the NFL in punting in 2022 and 2023, and Brad Robbins' who was Cincinnati's punter during the 2023 season before missing the 2024 season with an injury. He punted with the Bills this year in Week 1.

Stonehouse has averaged 52.2 yards per punt in his three years in the league with a 41.9-yard net average. He has 26 punts that have gone for a touchback and 80 punts that have been downed inside the 20. Stonehouse has only had two punts blocked, which came in the 2024 season.

Robbins averaged 44.3 yards per punt in 2023 with a 40.1-yard net average. He had five punts that went for touchbacks and 20 punts downed inside the 20. Robbins has not had a blocked punt at the NFL level.

Bucs Are Looking At Everything To Prevent More Blocked Punts

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles wasn't assigning blame to 32-year old veteran punter Riley Dixon for blocked punts against the Texans and the Eagles. Instead, Bowles said it was mostly on the blocking up front.

"It wasn't really a stunt," Bowles said on Monday. "We didn't help out like we should have and it shouldn't have happened. It was a very routine play."

Bowles was asked if Philadelphia attacked the punt in a similar manner than Houston did.

"It really doesn't matter," Bowles said. "They're all bad. Whether they block it from the outside or the inside, it can't happen. Those are things that cannot happen for us to have guys on our punt team that are here strictly for special teams."

But Bowles didn't let Dixon, who has nine blocked punts in his career, off the hook.

"He can speed it up too," Bowles said when asked if he felt as if Dixon's punts were too slow in getting off his foot.

Bowles was clearly agitated over not just the two blocked punts, but also a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown against the Jets. That has put special teams coach Thomas McGaughey on the hot seat.

"Right now, we're looking at all avenues to improve our special teams," Bowles said. "All inclusive. It's coaching. It's personnel. It's all inclusive. It's never just one."