The Oakland Raiders are heading into the 2013 NFL season with hopes for improvement and while the offense and defense have had a number of changes, so has the special teams and at punter there is expected to be a good battle between former Vikings star Chris Kluwe and Marquette King.
According to Yahoo Sports general manager Reggie McKenzie is hoping that the two players both compete for the starting job in training camp, although it is likely that Kluwe has the advantage over the younger King. The Raiders are trying to replace Shane Lechler, who was one of the best punters in NFL history, but the team let him walk to the Houston Texans and now they need a new starter.
McKenzie was the one who brought in King last year and although he has a big leg, he felt it was necessary to also bring in Kluwe after he was released by the Vikings for his outspoken nature. Lechler leaves some large cleats to fill and Kluwe had an excellent season last year in his personal career, although he ranked 22nd in the NFL in average yards per punt. King was stashed on injured reserve last season and if he shows that he still has a booming leg, he could be the starter.
Kluwe is more solid than powerful and he had the 17th best net average in the league last season and finished 31st in the league with 18 punts inside the 20. Although the stats aren't jumping out like crazy, punting is a tough job and the Raiders may decide to stick with the more experienced player as they head into a very important transition season in the franchise. Obviously that choice isn't as hard as the one for quarterback with Matt Flynn and Tyler Wilson, but it could add up to more wins depending on which way it plays out.
The Raiders have had a stalwart in Lechler and now they will need a new ambassador for the punting position heading into next season. The team is expecting improvement after trading Carson Palmer and signing players like Mike Jenkins, Tracy Porter, Charles Woodson, Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett and the team is also very excited about its rookie class, including first round pick DJ Hayden.
