Colts To Sign P Matt Haack
Days after losing the Bills’ punting competition, Matt Haack has secured another opportunity. The Colts are signing the sixth-year veteran, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
Haack served as the Bills’ punter last season but played out a four-year Dolphins rookie contract before his Buffalo commitment. The Colts are in need at the position; they confirmed Rigoberto Sanchez‘s Achilles tear Wednesday. The Colts held a punter workout today, leading to the Haack addition.
Fourth-round pick Matt Araiza beat out Haack for Buffalo’s punting job during camp. The Bills had signed Haack, 28, to a three-year, $5.48MM deal in 2021. The former UDFA will be in line to enjoy a friendlier punting environment, Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, this season.
Sanchez has been the Colts’ punter since his 2017 rookie season. Like Haack, he entered the offseason signed for multiple years. But the Achilles tear Sanchez sustained while running gassers at the end of the Colts’ Tuesday practice has changed Indy’s plans at this position, one that has enjoyed continuity for a lengthy stretch — from Pat McAfee (2009-16) to Sanchez.
Haack’s one season in Buffalo featured a career-low 42.9 yards per punt. The Arizona State alum’s per-boot numbers were better in Miami, where he averaged between 44.5 and 45.0 yards from 2017-20. Sanchez, however, has also served as the Colts’ kickoff specialist throughout his career. Haack has not done so, at least not primarily. He has recorded only four kickoffs during his career. Indianapolis’ kicker, Rodrigo Blankenship, seems likely to handle this responsibility, having made 24 kickoffs over his two-year run. Twenty of those came in 2020, a season that featured Sanchez miss time after having a cancerous tumor surgically removed.
Bills Cut WR Tavon Austin
The Bills released a pair of veterans today. The team announced that they’ve cut wideout Tavon Austin and punter Matt Haack.
Austin had his most productive season in years in 2021. In 13 games (three starts) with the Jaguars, the veteran hauled in 24 receptions for 213 yards and one touchdown. He ended up joining Buffalo in June, and there was hope that he’d be able to slide into a back-of-the-depth-chart role behind Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Isaiah McKenzie. That didn’t end up being the case, and with the veteran out of the picture, this will probably secure an opening day roster spot for at least one of Jake Kumerow or Jamison Crowder.
There’s a chance Austin could catch on elsewhere. While he’s bounced around the NFL a bit recently, he’s still seen time in nine NFL seasons, hauling in 244 receptions and 16 touchdowns. The veteran also has extensive special teams history, although it’s been a while since he’s been a full-time punt returner.
Haack’s spot on the roster always seemed to be in risk following the emergence of ‘Punt God’ Matt Araiza. Haack was the Bills’ punter in 2021, averaging a career-low 42.9 yards on his 52 punts. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins, where he had an average punt distance of 44.7 yards.
Bills Rework P Matt Haack’s Contract
The Bills have reworked their punter’s contract. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Bills have signed Matt Haack to a revised contract.
The deal will reduce Haack’s 2022 salary to $1.135MM, and it will also void the final year of his contract. As a result, the punter will hit free agency next offseason.
According to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (on Twitter), the Bills also removed the $1MM base salary that would have been guaranteed on March 18. As a result, the Bills can set themselves up for a punting competition if they so desire.
Haack spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins before inking a three-year deal with the Bills last offseason. His averages went down during his first season in Buffalo, as he averaged only 42.9 yards on his punts (with his previous career-low being at 44.5). While he wasn’t called on all that much during the postseason, he did see that average jump to 43.8 yards on four punts.
Bills To Sign P Matt Haack
Matt Haack is sticking around the AFC East. The Bills have signed the former Dolphins punter, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
The 26-year-old punter had spent his entire career with the Dolphins. Haack entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2017, and he was immediately handed the starting gig in Miami. Haack ended up with 307 punts during his tenure with the Dolphins, averaging 44.7 yards per attempt. He’s hit at least a 60-yarder in each of his four seasons.
Haack will presumably snag the role that was previously held by Corey Bojorquez. It seemed like the 24-year-old’s stint with Buffalo may be coming to an end when we learned of the Bills’ interest in veteran Michael Palardy earlier this month.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed exclusive rights tender: T Justin Murray
Buffalo Bills
- Signed exclusive rights tender: WR Robert Foster, CB Levi Wallace
Miami Dolphins
- Signed original round RFA tender: P Matt Haack
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/20
Monday’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below. Deals will be updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Bengals: TE Cethan Carter, G Alex Redmond, DT Josh Tupou, S Brandon Wilson
- Broncos: WR Tim Patrick
- Dolphins: LB Vince Biegel, P Matt Haack
- Raiders: QB Nathan Peterman, LB Nicholas Morrow
- Seahawks: WR David Moore, C Joey Hunt, DE Branden Jackson
Non-tendered:
- Bills: WR Isaiah McKenzie
- Dolphins: S Adrian Colbert, LB Deon Lacey
- Eagles: RB Corey Clement
- Giants: C Jon Halapio
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Broncos: S Trey Marshall, WR Diontae Spencer, CB Shakial Taylor
- Browns: Pharaoh Brown, RB Dontrell Hilliard, WR KhaDarel Hodge
- Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
- Colts: DB Rolan Milligan
- Lions: CB Dee Virgin
- Ravens: RB Gus Edwards
Non-tendered:
- Chiefs: TE David Wells
Dolphins Sign 14 UDFAs
The Dolphins announced the signings of 14 undrafted free agents Friday. Here’s the list:
- Chase Allen, LB (Southern Illinois)
- Matt Haack, P (Arizona State)
- Larry Hope, CB (Akron)
- Malcolm Lewis, WR (Miami)
- Cameron Malveaux, DE (Houston)
- Praise Martin-Oguike, DE (Temple)
- Torry McTyer, CB (UNLV)
- Drew Morgan, WR (Arkansas)
- Francis Owusu, WR (Stanford)
- Joby Saint Fleur, DE (Oklahoma State)
- De’Veon Smith, RB (Michigan)
- Eric Smith, OT (Virginia)
- Maurice Smith, S (Georgia)
- Damore’ea Stringfellow, WR (Mississippi)