The Raiders are doing their due diligence in finding their next punter. They already had Marquette King on the roster, then they signed undrafted free agent out of Idaho, Bobby Cowan. Now they have worked out veteran punters Mat McBriar and Jason Baker.
McBriar is a veteran of nine NFL seasons, eight of which were with the Cowboys. He made the Pro Bowl twice. He spent last season with the Eagles where Raiders new special teams coordinator, Bobby April, was coaching last season - that explains the tryout. Despite a down season from a special teams standpoint in Philadelphia last season, McBriar averaged an impressive 46.5 yards per punt which is better than his already solid 45.3 career average.
The soon-to-be 35-year old Jason Baker was out of football last season. He is a veteran of 11 NFL seasons, the last seven of which were spent with the Carolina Panthers. He has averaged 44 yards per punt over those seven seasons and has never made a Pro Bowl.
The Raiders may or may not sign either of these two punters right now as roster spots are valuable. Having a veteran presence would be welcome competition on the team. If they don't sign either immediately, having them in their back pocket in case King's development isn't coming along as they had hoped and Cowan is not NFL ready would also be a good thing.
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