Report: Minnesota Vikings to work out multiple punters
By Adam Carlson
It appears as though Matt Wile’s job as the Minnesota Vikings punter will be challenged, as a report states competition will be brought in for the position.
The offseason is an important time for NFL teams. Squads like the Minnesota Vikings need to bring in as much talent as they can to compete for positions as they look ahead the 2019 NFL season.
Most of the time, that competition comes in the form of draft picks or the free agent frenzy. However, sometimes individuals join the team to fight for a job as late as OTAs or even during the preseason, with a rare exception being midseason additions.
Recently, Chris Tomasson on Twitter shared a report where he cited that sources informed him that a special teams job once thought to be all but locked down. Here is his report as shared on his Twitter account:
Sources say #Vikings Wednesday will bring in multiple punters to work out. They could sign one to possibly compete with Matt Wile in training camp Coming in will be Justin Vogel, who punted for Packers in 2017, & Shane Tripucka, who was in rookie camp, & likely at least one other
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 10, 2019
So, the report is that Wednesday will see the Vikings bring in Justin Vogel and Shane Tripucka for tryouts as well as at least one more punter. The winner of that battle will likely be signed for a league minimum contract to battle Matt Wile in the preseason.
Vogel was an undrafted free agent in 2017 who signed with the Green Bay Packers. That year, he punted 71 times for 3,155 yards, an average of 44.4 yards per punt with 19 of those kicks landing inside the 20-yard line. Since then, he was given looks by the Browns and 49ers but neither one saw him make it into the regular season.
Meanwhile, Shane Tripucka has yet to punt in the NFL’s regular season but did enough in college with Texas A&M to earn a look. His booming leg is a massive asset, but Rotoworld says his accuracy on punts was something that needed to be worked on. He had a chance with the Chargers, but he will be looking to take advantage of another opportunity in Minnesota.
The question of why punters are being brought in has to be raised. The team had recently hired Nate Kaeding as a kicking consultant with Marwan Maalouf in his first year as Minnesota’s special teams coordinator. Perhaps the new staff is looking for someone they feel fits the team better.
In addition, there has been talking of how the team has struggled on field goals, with last year having some issues on the hold for kicks. It’s possible the challenge isn’t for punting at all and the squad is attempting to push Wile to be even better at his craft.
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No matter what the reason, it will be interesting to see what the Minnesota Vikings do. Punter and holder might not be something fans talk about often, but those jobs can sometimes be the difference between a victory and a loss on the football field. And hopefully, the team gets it right heading into the 2019 season.
*Updated on 6/10 for clarification