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The Philadelphia Eagles had their concerns and gave Arryn Siposs three more games to alleviate them.
Turns out, the big-legged Aussie only made it through two contests in the 2023 season before the organization pulled the plug, deciding the inconsistency was too much to bear with another potential run at the Super Bowl in the offing.
The Eagles, however, didn’t exactly commit to new punter Braden Mann either, swapping out Siposs' practice squad spot to Mann, a former Ray Guy Award winner as the top punter in college football at Texas A&M back in 2018.
By handling things that way it's basically confirming Mann, 25, now has his own three-game window to win the Eagles over because that's the limit of games you can elevate players from the PS.
By Oct. 15, ironically against Mann's former team, the New York Jets, we should know if he is going to be the punter for the rest of the season or if the churn will continue.
“He's done it in this league for a few years,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said earlier this week when discussing Mann. “It's always nice knowing that he wasn't coming from a different climate, being in New York.”
That experience punting in the Northeast seemed to have a big influence on the Eagles, a foreshadowing that the organization expects to have Mann around late in the season and isn’t attempting any kind of tortured experiment at a devalued position.
“It's tough playing in the northeast in the wintertime, especially MetLife for a punter," Clay noted. “It's pretty tough, so for Braden to be able to do that and understanding these late games and everything like that, but we're excited about him.”
The often overlooked part of moving on from Siposs was the smooth operation the ex-punter, along with long snapper Rick Lovato, had with placekicker Jake Elliott, who's been in the conversation for being the best NFL kicker not named Justin Tucker.
Elliott is already 6 of 7 on field goals this season, including three makes from over 50 and a 61-bomb in Week 2's win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Clay admitted holding is a “unique trade," and it’s one Siposs was very good at.
"It's just like anything else in any trade. It's a specialty trade," Clay said. "It's not like anybody can just go out there and put the ball down. There are so many factors when it comes to kicking. If it's a perfect day or a dome, you really don't have to deal with any of the lean.”
The lean is where kickers can get a little quirky at times.
"When it comes to the field goal kicker, some people like it leaning forward, some like it leaned back, to the right, to the left, it comes in -- you know, spinning the laces before the ball gets on the ground,” explained Clay. “How can I put it down as quick as possible so the kicker can see it."
Ultimately, though, Elliott's own mental toughness made it easier to make a change.
"I can't say enough good things about Jake. He's got ice in his veins regardless of the situation," Clay said. "... He puts as much time as anybody I've been around in terms of taking care of his body, working on field goals, the operation, things of that nature that probably goes unnoticed on separate fields. It's really cool to be around someone that calm, cool, and collected."
And the extra time this week between the Sept. 14 win over the Vikings and Monday's kickoff on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also played into things.
“I think it helps to have that extra time,” Clay said. “You get that extra day where the guys get more acclimated, more familiar. Braden can come in and get a crash course on the operation, stuff outside of just the holding and punting stuff situated with (special teams assistant) Tyler (Brown). So, it's nice to have that extra day.”
As for Siposs, he sealed his fate on a play that was a positive one for the Eagles when Justin Evans forced a fumble into the hands of Nicholas Morrow.
Coaches though have to grade every aspect of a play and Philadelphia was forced to punt from its 14-yard line, a so-called open field punt where Siposs needs to show off his leg and hang time.
The result was a mishit that traveled only 40 yards to Minnesota 46 when Vikings returner Brandon Powell secured it and moved to the right of the formation for a 20-yard gash that would have set Kirk Cousins and Co. up on a short field at the Eagles’ 34-yard line had Powell exhibited better ball skills.
It was reminiscent of Super Bowl LVII when a sped-up Siposs mishit a ball away from his coverage and allowed Kadarius Toney to tilt the game toward Kansas City with a return to the five-yard line.
The fact that Evans and Morrow picked up a teammate this time may have resonated with the fans looking at the bottom line but the coaching perspective doesn’t want that to have to happen.
At that moment the Eagles felt it was time and Mann was the best of the four punters the team worked out over the prior weeks.
“I think we've caused two fumbles the last two games, which is nice, but we also have to tighten up,” Clay said.
More must-reads:
- Skip Bayless makes huge Tom Brady prediction after Netflix roast
- 49ers Hall of Fame CB Jimmy Johnson dies
- The 'NFL MVP runners-up' quiz
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