Punters are the NFL’s version of a load-bearing wall.
They don’t evoke buzz like granite countertops and aren’t noticed when everything is stable, but if issues develop, people become alarmed.
The Cardinals dealt with too much unease last season, as they cycled through three different punters and finished last in the league in average distance (41.9 yards) and net yardage (37.0).
Matt Wile was added to the team for the final month of the season, and he returns hoping to calm the storm in 2017. His competition for the job will be Richie Leone, who led the Canadian Football League in punting average last season and signed with the Cardinals in January.