Oakland Raiders punter Chris Kluwe made a decision to help the guy who is trying to take his job with some pointers on his technique during training camp. Kluwe said it was something he wish he had received when trying to learn the ropes in the NFL as a rookie with Seattle in 2005.
While it still remains to be seen if Kluwe’s decision to help fellow punter Marquette King will cost him his job with the Raiders, it’s at least helped King stay in the race.
According to Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group, the fight to secure the job is still “too close to call.”
King has the booming leg while Kluwe knows the intricacies of how to best take advantage of his. Kluwe concedes that he can’t keep up with King from a distance standpoint, but the Raiders want to see King improve some of the finer points of punting in order to take the job from Kluwe.
“Marquette has worked extremely hard and gotten better,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “The consistency with him as far as get-off times, the little details, that’s what we’re hoping to see”
King was in camp with the Raiders in 2012 competing with longtime Raiders’ punter Shane Lechler. He landed on injured reserve when he injured his foot late in training camp. Kluwe is with Oakland a new team for the first time since his rookie season after spending eight years in Minnesota.
Kluwe believes that he isn’t just competing against King but for one of 32 spots across the league. If both can prove to be solid options, he believes both he and King will have jobs this fall.
“I feel confident in my abilities, I think Marquette should be confident in his abilities,” Kluwe said. “If both of us punt well, there will be room in the NFL for both of us.”