News is coming out of Baltimore tonight that the Ravens have reached an agreement with punter Sam Koch on a five year extension. This deal comes on the heels of the five year extension signed by Billy Cundiff last week. Cundiff’s deal strengthens the place kicker position that was held for years by Matt Stover, who departed after the 2008 season. The Steven Hauschka experiment didn’t work, and Cundiff was able to step in and be exactly what the doctor ordered. As for Koch? He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 draft out of Nebraska, and immediately stepped in to replace Dave Zastudil. He’s been pretty amazing since, averaging right around 43 yards per punt in each season and in the range of 38 for his net. He placed a career best 39 punts inside the 20 in 2010, second in the NFL behind Steve Weatherford of the Jets.
Cundiff and Koch aren’t the best specialists in the league. But they are among the best at what they do best: pinning the opponent deep in their own territory. With Cundiff’s near NFL record of touchbacks, and Koch’s ability to stick the ball inside the 20, the Ravens kickers give the defense the perfect opportunity to succeed. And since this team is based around a solid defense, making the opponent run a long field plays right into Baltimore’s strenghts. Hey, with a long field for the opposing offense, the Ravens offense has a better opportunity to get a short field and make some plays. So overall, Cundiff and Koch are both perfect fits for this team, and it’s good to see them locked up for awhile.
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