The Denver Broncos brought in Corliss Waitman in part because he’s a left-footed punter, but he’s not merely a camp leg. Denver will allow Waitman to compete with Sam Martin for the punter job this summer.
Waitman’s spent time with three NFL teams and it’s clear that he has enough talent to play in the pros, but he’s got to fine-tune some of the details. Broncos special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes wants to see the 26-year-old punter improve specifically as a directional punter.
“I think Corliss has a strong leg,” Stukes said on June 14. “He’s a good athlete. He has good hands to hold. The left-footed spin on the ball is different. You see that he’s a talented punter. What Corliss needs to focus on in the offseason is directional punting, which we’ve addressed.
“He’s working on getting the ball to the numbers, to outside the numbers, which we’re big on here. Sam has done a great job of that as well. I’m happy with both of those guys. The competition is good for those guys. I think competition is good for everyone.”
Martin is much more experienced so he’s the clear favorite to win the job, but Waitman’s got a chance. Martin is set to have the sixth-highest salary cap hit among NFL punters this year, so if Waitman performs well in the summer, the Broncos might consider making a cap-saving move at the position.
Martin’s also scheduled to become a free agent next spring, and NFL teams are always thinking ahead when building a roster.
May the best leg win.
Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts