Black and Teal
FanSided

Is Bryan Anger able to become NFL’s highest paid punter?

By Luke Sims

facebooktwitterreddit

Bryan Anger brings out the frustration in many of us. That third round pick in 2012 could have been used much, much better for a team that desperately needed talent.

That said, he’s proven to be an excellent punter. Right now he’s also excellent value for the Jaguars, coming in among the most underpaid players recently listed by Fox Sports. Here’s what they had to say about Anger:

"The decision for a team with as many holes as the Jaguars to select a punter in the third round of the 2011 (sic) NFL draft will always be ridiculed. But at last ex-general manager Gene Smith was right in his assessment of how good Anger would become. Anger set NFL rookie records for net and gross average and hasn’t slumped since. Anger is a potential franchise tag candidate if the Jaguars can’t sign him to a deal that would likely make him the NFL’s highest-paid punter."

To become the highest paid punter, the Jaguars would have to offer Anger more than New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead, who is currently on a deal worth $21.8 million, according to Over the Cap. That’s some sweet cash for a punter (but Anger is a weapon, remember!) that Anger may actually be worth. Morstead’s deal gives him $3.6 million on average per year with $6.9 million of the total guaranteed.

Is Bryan Anger worth that kind of money?

While we all consider Anger the unfortunate mistake that his third round selection was, the truth is that he is a solid punter in the NFL. While graded out at 11th overall by Pro Football Focus, Anger’s average is the second best among punters with at least four games played last year. He’s in the top ten for hang time average, second most in total yards (partly a byproduct of the Jaguars offense), top 15 in punts within the 20-yard line, and just outside the top 15 for net yards.

Does that sound like the type of play warranting the highest pay at his position?

I doubt that the Jags would be inclined to give Anger the highest pay among punters based on his last season’s outing. If he can up his numbers a bit in 2015 (and the special teams unit as a whole must improve as well) then he may be worth the money. For now, don’t expect the Jags to be paying Anger the big bucks.

Next: 5 players who must step up

More from Black and Teal

Home/Jacksonville Jaguars News