Falcons select P Matt Bosher in the 6th round
Miami kicker Matt Bosher (25) kicks a field goal as quarterback Spencer Whipple holds during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida A&M, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Name: Matt Bosher (6th round, 192nd)
Size: 6-0, 207
College: Miami
His production: He handled kickoffs and punts for the Hurricanes. He converted 84.7 percent of his field goal attempts. He had six career punts blocked. He played in 50 games for the Hurricanes. As a punter, he put 70-of-234 attempts inside the 20-yard line. He finished with a41.7-yard average per punt. He averaged at least 40 yards a punt in each of his four seasons. He had 49 punts of 50 yards or more and forced the opposition to make 82 fair catches.
The skinny: “Right-footed jack-of-all trades, master of none type who warrants a camp invite,” according to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly. He was the sixth punter drafted by the Falcons, but the first since Harold Alexander who was selected in the third round of the 1993 draft from Appalachian State.
INTERVIEW WITH MATT BOSHER TODAY
ON HIS CONTACT WITH THE FALCONS: “I had been in touch with them before the draft. I worked out for Coach (Keith) Armstrong. It’s always a crapshoot being a punter and a kicker with the draft. I was so excited to finally get that phone call and hear from all of the coaches.”
ON HIS CAREER AT MIAMI: “I’m happy with everything that went down at Miami. I just can’t wait to have an opportunity to play at the next level with the Falcons.”
ON HIS RECRUITMENT: “When I was coming out of high school, it was mainly just Miami and the University of Florida.”
ON BEING THE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: “I was happy to get that award from my team because we have a lot of great athletes at Miami. I was really proud of that award.”
ON WHAT THE FALCON SAID ABOUT THEIR PUNTER JOB: “They didn’t really say much. They said they are happy to have me. I looking forward to getting up there and I’m happy to have this opportunity to show what type of player I can be.”
ON HIS 19 CAREER SPECIAL-TEAMS TACKLES: “It’s football. It’s not just me as a punter. If you’re going to play football, you have to be able to hit somebody if the play calls for it. You’re not just out there playing patty cakes.”
ON HIS 26-YARD RUN IN 2009: “I can run a little bit. Not all the time, but if need be. If they call a fake or something, I’m confident that I might be able to run the ball a little bit.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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66 comments Add your comment
26.2
April 30th, 2011
4:49 pm
Another brilliant draft move by Dummytroff. Probably could have signed him as a free agent. A “player of impact” ????
26.2
April 30th, 2011
4:50 pm
Err, uhh I meant ” player with explosion”
J.J.M.
April 30th, 2011
4:51 pm
not sure about this pick. I think he would have been there the 7th round
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
4:51 pm
This the best we could do? SERIOUSLY ?
J.J.M.
April 30th, 2011
4:52 pm
don think teams can sign undrafted free agents
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
4:52 pm
with so many decent players on the board a punter?
elviskl
April 30th, 2011
4:52 pm
who gives a damn, not going to be a football season anyway
Gwinnett Fred
April 30th, 2011
4:52 pm
Have to admit, TD is really testing my (and I think most fans) faith. Hopefully Mr. Blank told him not to worry about defense – he’ll open up the pocketbook to buy those players on that side of the ball.
MonkDaddy
April 30th, 2011
4:53 pm
Really????? In the 6th??
jerseyfalcon
April 30th, 2011
4:54 pm
virgil green is on the board…jeremy beal…but no, go with a punter!!
SeenThisB4
April 30th, 2011
4:56 pm
Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
This failcan’t draft has to be the most comical thing I’ve seen since watching your former QB give you the middle finger salute!
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
4:56 pm
someone needs to check the water in Flowery Branch
26.2
April 30th, 2011
5:01 pm
Maybe we can get a waterboy if we haven’t given away our 7th
torgo
April 30th, 2011
5:01 pm
I don’t like that we used the sixth rounder on a specialist. There were several other names I really liked for that pick (such as TE Virgil Green) instead.
But if we’re going to take a specialist, I do agree that Bosher is the right one. He’s one of the nation’s top kickers AND one of the top punters. He has already made the transition to a two step punting motion. He can handle kickoff duty and long range field goals (4 for 5 from 50 yards in his college career).
Michael Koenen will be too expensive to keep. The Falcons would do well to re-sign Matt Bryant, but we’d need a punter who can also take care of kickoffs. Bosher is easily the best fit among the kicker/punter options.
And I disagree with the notion that he would have otherwise been an undrafted free agent. There’s a strong chance he would have been taken by some team out there. He probably would have been there for Atlanta’s next pick, but they decided not to take a chance on it.
Gwinnett Fred
April 30th, 2011
5:01 pm
All the fans are overlooking the fact that this guy made good grades, drank his milk and doesn’t curse – exactly what the Falcons brass looks for in a free agent, I mean wasted 6th round, pickup.
chickenman
April 30th, 2011
5:02 pm
26.2 your a moron. The falcons needed a punter, i am so tired of seeing these unintelligent “gms” posting this week. EVERYONE wanted to move up… what do you think it costs to move 21 spots… it could of been much more costly.. and then draft a solid LB and a legit change of pace back… come on this was a great draft by TD… much props from a season ticket holder! Again nothing makes it easier for me to spend money each year then seeing the front office draft great players!
26.2
April 30th, 2011
5:07 pm
chickenman – you are a moron – and you will be the first moron next year to cry when we badly need an OT or TE but we don’t have a first round pick.
Birdthethird
April 30th, 2011
5:08 pm
Everything done in this draft is what I was not expecting. Then again I haven’t been involved with football since 1993.
SeenThisB4
April 30th, 2011
5:09 pm
The NFL just shortened the kickoff field; kickoffs are now from the 35 instead of the 30, so, Dimitroff’s grandma is going to be able to put them deep in the endzone, but the failcan’ts need to draft a punter to handle kickoffs! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ooh that’s so funny!
Dan Reeves
April 30th, 2011
5:19 pm
This is one of the worse drafts that the Falcons have ever had; and I know a few things about bad drafts.
Kd
April 30th, 2011
5:20 pm
Enter your comments here
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
5:25 pm
Falcons take General Andrew Jackson OL good move there TD
gcs
April 30th, 2011
5:28 pm
That was a waste. Probably could have signed him as a free agent.
.
reality
April 30th, 2011
5:31 pm
Enter your comments here
J.J.M.
April 30th, 2011
5:31 pm
cant sign undrafted players
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
5:31 pm
Andrew Jackson will make a good lineman for our falcons, TD, has been known for his late round gems and this is one of them.
Eugene Robinson
April 30th, 2011
5:33 pm
He’s my boy down in S.Beach, I get hooked up every time I’m down there. Good choice, nice wholesome young man.
torgo
April 30th, 2011
5:33 pm
NICE move grabbing Andrew Jackson in the seventh round. Aggressive playing style (our kind of guy). Good strength and balance. Lots of playing experience. Hard worker. Solid drive blocker. Gets the job done in pass protection.
Fifth round grades from some sources. Nice pickup in the early seventh. It helps make up for using the sixth rounder on the kicker/punter.
theight
April 30th, 2011
5:33 pm
I really hope they plans to throw cash out to players on defense during free agency. I guess DT plans to buff up Dent a little more and use him as a pass rusher. Now they choose an OG in the 7th. I really love the Jacquizz Rogers pick. I didn’t realize he was still on the board. His twinn brother is still available as well i think. Do anyone realize how much Cincinnati loves UGA players!
reality
April 30th, 2011
5:35 pm
The fact of the matter is that a punter is one of the most underrated and difference making positions on a roster. A great punter makes your defense a notch better due to field position and the ability to pin a team deep in their own territory.
Another reality is that less than half of 6th and 7th round position players even make the roster, so if you can draft a really good special teams player that could potentially fill a critical but under appreciated roster spot for a decade in the 6th round then you do it.
ToccoaBird
April 30th, 2011
5:35 pm
D’Led will these future Falcons be required to only wear bow ties?
Just Saying...
April 30th, 2011
5:44 pm
TD ment it when he told us “explosive players”. Now a hang time position punter, putting the other team in the very low % drive the field position. Bold, precise drafting. This season ticket holder is looking forward to another-that would be ANOTHER – winning season.
theight
April 30th, 2011
5:50 pm
@reality: I don’t what kind of football knowledge you have but a lot of the best players that has played this game were drafted in the later rounds. What DT and the falcons fail to do know is draft players from smaller schools and HBCU’s. Some of the best players in the league are coming from those schools. Kenrick Ellis is going to be a beast at DT for the JETS!! This is what the team needs. They need a DT more than a DE. The falcons have some pretty decent DE’s but not a pure DT that draws double teams.
jojo
April 30th, 2011
5:51 pm
VERY STRANGE DRAFT
PoDunk
April 30th, 2011
5:58 pm
Agree with chickenman, 26.2 knows nothing. Good move to replace Koenan.
reality
April 30th, 2011
6:05 pm
@theight: If you actually do a statistical analysis of the draft, you will find that most 6th and 7th round position players don’t end up making a team or ever making a difference. Now, will you occasionally find a diamond in the rough that becomes a very good player in those rounds? Yes, of course it will happen from time to time. But the point is that it’s the major exception to the rule. Again, simple statistical analysis of the these rounds will show this to be the case.
TD has No clue
April 30th, 2011
6:08 pm
My name says it all!
genius
April 30th, 2011
6:11 pm
Best TD draft yet. in 2 years you’ll agree.
coleski
April 30th, 2011
6:12 pm
A punter.No kidding.
Nathan Darling
April 30th, 2011
6:15 pm
Why in the hell did we get this guy?
NC Falcon Fan
April 30th, 2011
6:16 pm
After all the talk about how we need defense – what the heck let’s just draft all offense.
reality
April 30th, 2011
6:26 pm
Listen morons, there will be free agency, and the defensive needs will be filled during that period by proven NFL veterans that can actually come in now and make an impact.
waynester
April 30th, 2011
7:06 pm
You guys are going to be singing a different tune when you see Bosher in a Falcon’s uni. This kid is going to save us a roster spot AND improve our STs immensely….
TAKE BAD WITH GOOD
April 30th, 2011
7:11 pm
most of you non football knowlege wimps cant comprehend that kicking is one of the major factors of special teams,, and I hope you Idots know this unit is a form of defense,plus this kid tackles ,run,hit .punt and place kick good pick Dimmy call me sometimes I got some pretty good Ideas you complaining Idiots gey off my team .
Glenn
April 30th, 2011
7:18 pm
Don’t the Falcons already have one of the Leagues best punters on the roster? Are they planning on cutting him for an untested rookie when we know how important special teams play has become? Am I missing something else?
jerry
April 30th, 2011
8:04 pm
had 6 blocked punts….very explosive……….. for the other side.
waynester
April 30th, 2011
8:13 pm
Glenn
we’re likely to lose both our K and P in FA. We REALLY need Bosher to step up and fill both positions, saving us a roster spot to move guys up and down as needed. B4 will be laughing out the other side of his mouth If his kicker goes on an inaccuracy streak again–plus if the rules stay this way for kickoffs, the pick makes even more sense and you’ll see more and more teams following suit. TD has already identified this possible emerging trend and has gotten out in front of the wave by drafting a multi-purpose player….
You Have A Clue
April 30th, 2011
8:42 pm
Reality you are so right. Most of the time 5ht-7th rd. players rarely make a team. A punter/kicker has a better chance than a position player of making a teams roster. The Rodgers pick is the one I really like. He will be the diamond in the rough that so many teams look for in the late rnds. He’s one exciting player to watch. Also there’s no way we move up for Julio if the Falcons weren’t gearing up to be a major player in free agency. Charles Johnson from Carolina or Edwards from the Vikings I believe are the main targets. Either one would be better than what we could have picked in our 27 spot. Then if we could sign the DB from the Raiders we would be serious Super Bowl contenders. These 2 moves not only would greatly improve our defense but would also make everyone around them better. Mr. Blank show them the MONEY Baby.
DrJ
April 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Good to see a big-sized P/K. We just need to consistently get the kickoff into the endzone, and the punts inside the 20 with a 4 sec hang-time. I guess he does this? What’s with Koenen?
torgo
April 30th, 2011
9:14 pm
It’s true that the majority of late rounders end up not making it. Some do and have a huge impact, but most don’t.
But with a lot of those late rounders – and undrafted free agents – it’s simply a matter of development time rather than talent. They may have the upside of a first rounder but aren’t ready to step in and start yet.
The Falcons – particularly under Rich McKay – were outstanding at finding that kind of developmental talent.
McKay, you ask?
Tyson Clabo was an undrafted free agent who had been sent to NFL Europe before the Falcons signed him for the practice squad. The following year he made the roster and got playing time. In 2007 he switched from guard to right tackle, has been our starter ever since, and just became our first lineman to play in the Pro Bowl since Bob Whitfield after the 1998 season.
Brent Grimes was signed as an undrafted free agent for training camp. He didn’t make Mora’s roster, but the Falcons signed him to a futures contract that winter and sent him to NFL-E. He made the practice squad the following season and was promoted to the roster a week after that idiot Petrino skipped town. He’s now one of the top corners in the league, also appearing in this year’s Pro Bowl.
Eric Weems was another undrafted free agent scouted and signed by McKay. He spent a few years on the practice squad and got his chance at the roster as a return man when Harry Douglas was injured in practice in 2009. Another Pro Bowler.
Harvey Dahl was an undrafted player bouncing up and down between the 49ers roster and practice squad. The Falcons plucked him for added depth at tackle in the injury-plagued 2007 season (when we had no less than four offensive tackles go on injured reserve). He switched to guard in camp the following summer and has been our starting right guard ever since.
That’s three Pro Bowlers and a solid starter from our current roster that didn’t even sneak into the seventh round. It’s fair to say they’ve had an impact on our team.
McKay gets a lot of heat for the players that the Falcons drafted during the Mora and Petrino regimes. But he deserves a huge amount of credit for bringing these four gems on board as well as players like Roddy White, John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux, Ovie Mughelli, Jason Snelling, and Justin Blalock.
cwltank
April 30th, 2011
9:19 pm
Falcons are trying cut salaries & replace a few players that are declining. great 6 round selection we can save probally 3 million by signing him. Now if we can dump ANDERSON & McClure salaries we can sign a few free agents, I believe in the TD & those who do not, don’t know football…… Dent will back up Lofton. Those of you who do no know he just had surgery he may not be ready the start of the season. Before you have doubt do your homework & stop jumping ship, Im just saying……….
torgo
April 30th, 2011
9:19 pm
“had 6 blocked punts….very explosive……….. for the other side.”
Those were BEFORE he changed his punting motion from three steps to two steps. He also improved his average by four yards after making the change.
torgo
April 30th, 2011
9:22 pm
McClure’s price tag isn’t too bad, but Anderson and Chauncey Davis are backups with combined base salaries of $6.55 million. Matthews is reason to suspect that at least one of them won’t make it out of training camp.
hiramsaint
April 30th, 2011
10:20 pm
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe !
Jordan
April 30th, 2011
11:24 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/04/30/review-of-atlanta-falcons-draft/
JKA
April 30th, 2011
11:34 pm
Agree w/Torgo, Koenen has reached the point where his salary has outgrown his value……This kid will take over the punting and back up Bryant; as we found out with Elam, just because a veteran has a good year doesn’t mean he might not implode the next….only thing I haven’t heard about is his kickoff ability, but assume the Falcons wouldn’t have drafted him if they didn’t feel he could handle it……
Regarding people who can look into the future and state with certainty that he would have been available later or as a FA: no one knows that for sure; I think that as a combo P/PK, he probably would have had some interest from teams in the 6th/7th round.
Bottom line, Falcons liked him and drafted him; like every other team and player in the draft, we’ll get to see if they were right or wrong.
Falcons select P Matt Bosher in the 6th round | Atlanta Falcons | Orlando
April 30th, 2011
11:49 pm
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KQuark
May 1st, 2011
2:17 am
The only pick I did not get at all.
doonie 1
May 1st, 2011
7:59 am
The falcons were a 13-3 team last year so they only needed a few peices to improve
Mikefalcon63
May 1st, 2011
8:38 am
For every ticked off draft expert on here… TD knows more about the talent on the roster than you do. I know that may come as a surprise considering you work with the players…. Never. And TD and Smitty work with them daily. Punter is curious I will admit… But TD knows more than I do about the punting situation. And to criticize the Jones pick b/c we did not pick a DE or whatever… Really??? Do I need to remind you of the last De we took high? He has produced 3 sacks in 4 seasons! Then look at guys like Gholston, and it is no wonder they passed on a DE and selected the biggest difference maker available who played in a football pedigree system!
Paddy
May 1st, 2011
10:02 am
Punters and place kickers win more games than an extra OL or 4th receiver. I am ok with this pick. Let it play out.
Runnin With The Dawgs
May 1st, 2011
10:26 am
If we lose Koenen to free agency then that only leaves Ken Parrish and or Matt Bryant. In other words we aren’t that deep in punters. I say good move. I would have gone for Mason Foster before Akeem Dent, however I’m glad we got a good quality LB regardless who he is.
ragweed
May 1st, 2011
1:27 pm
All you sophisticatd, geniuses who speak so intelligently of the short comings and inadequacies of the Falcom management and coaches should apply to Arthur Blank and let him know that you, and you alone, are the true saviours of the Falcons. Everyone knows you can completely teardown all the wrongs that have been so badly done and redo them all overnight. Hurry up. We can’t wait much longer. Undo all the horror of the draft that you percieve and save the Falcons.. Your are a true genius How about it 26.2 Apply for the job!!!!!
Edward
May 1st, 2011
3:25 pm
I just wished I knew what the Falcons were doing.
Scott
May 1st, 2011
9:20 pm
Seriously the Falcons punted on this pick .
Freddie G
May 1st, 2011
10:54 pm
I will not go as far as to say I don’t like the picks, as TD and Smitty should know their roster better than me. I was surprised by some of the selections, like Dent and the Punter. I thought the young Matthews from Oregon would have been a solid pick because of his energy. I am also surprised that we did not pick a DB, or a DE to cover the wideouts in the NFC South and a pass rusher resp. However they may be banking on picking up a couple of Free Agents, or the players on the roster may now be ready to assume more responsibility. People who are critical of the draft seem to forget that Spoon was injured most of his rookie season and should be much better in the second year. Secondly the DB drafted last year out of Oklahoma should understand the defense better and able to contribute this year. Jerry should be better after the injury in his rookie season, and so too will Harry Douglas in the slot. The offense should be better with Julio, and Rodgers thereby sustaining more drives, and helping the defense. In other words there are numerous factors that went into their decision that I am not privy to, neither are you.