Quote:Not so sure I would agree with that.

 

A small part of gutting the team several years ago was to rid the team of vestiges of the teams past losing image. It is unarguable that Brian Anger is a succinct reminder of the buffoonery inflicted on this franchise by former GM Gene Smith. The issue isn't that Anger is a serviceable punter, he obviously is, but he certainly wasn't worth a third round pick...no punter is, and that's the optic that renewing his contract here should be viewed through. If his contract were not renewed, he would almost certainly end of elsewhere as someone else's punter... and that's okay! Serviceable punters are relatively easy to find, so it isn't like not renewing Anger's contract would be a blow to the team. On the other hand, his staying here could always be a reminder of this teams 'laughing stock legacy'; and that is something this team needs to move on from.

 

Now having said all this, it would also be true that it's best to 'let old wounds heal and not reopen them'. What I mean by this is that the very act of not renewing Angers contract would in itself draw attention to the circumstances of his being here and would defeat the very reason for not keeping him!

 

Perhaps you are right and it would be best to not muddy up the waters... Anger isn't anything to write home to mom about, but he does his job without much drama which is about as much as you can hope for from most punters... third round pick or not.

A new contract should be viewed through the optic of what his worth is to the team now. Not something that happened 4 years and on which the man himself had no influence. The same thing happened with Alualu last year, was he worth a first round pick in hindsight? No. But he had a worth to the team and he was offered a contract fitting that worth.

 

And need I remind you the last time we had a drafted punter and let him go in FA? We needed up with Matt Turk, think about that for a second; Matt Turk. 

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