National Football League

Green Bay Packers welcome competition for struggling punter Tim Masthay

Published Jun. 5, 2015 11:13 a.m. ET

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Through most of his five-year career, Tim Masthay has been a reliable punter for the Green Bay Packers. However, in the second half of last season, the quality of his play slipped as his last 21 punts of 2014 travelled a net average of only 33.6 yards, according to Press-Gazette Media.

Masthay had one punt returned for a touchdown, two punts blocked and a career-low 28.6 percent of his attempts land inside the 20-yard line, per Press-Gazette Media, in 2014.

The Packers have brought in Cody Mandell to compete for the team's punting duties. Mandell has a strong leg and last tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. Green Bay has successfully done this in the past; kicker Mason Crosby had to win a competition to keep his job after an awful 2012 season.

Crosby believes competition can help Masthay the same way it helped him.

"Anytime you're competing, anytime another guy is right next to you, my main focus—and I can tell Tim’s doing the same thing—is just really focus in on your details, the things that you can control, the things you do well," Crosby told ESPN. "If anything, it makes you dive in and look at some things a little closer. It can be extremely positive.

"If you take the right approach—and I know Tim will because he's such a detailed guy, he works hard and he’s extremely good at what he does—he's going to hone those skills even more. I feel thankful every day that I had that."

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports

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