Falcons sign P Sam Irwin-Hill, for real this time

The Falcons may well be searching for a new punter this summer, given that Matt Bosher and Ryan Allen are both free agents and the team has subtly indicated they might be looking for a younger option at the position. They’re likely to bring in multiple players and have them compete, which also appears to be the plan at kicker.

Enter Sam Irwin-Hill. The Falcons had him on their practice squad briefly back in October, but a visa issue kept him from joining the team, forcing them to bring on Kasey Redfern to punt instead. With the season over, Irwin-Hill’s back to compete again.

The Aussie has had stints with multiple teams but has never punted in an NFL regular season game. He’s a good athlete who passed and threw in college at Arkansas, but he average just 42 yards per punt despite a strong leg. He obviously can’t be considered the favorite to take the punter job this year given the way he’s bounced around, but the team clearly likes him enough to bring him back for another shot.

We’ll see who he’s competing with. Bosher or Allen could be back on an affordable deal, if they’re willing to take one, or the Falcons could look to the draft to add a new option. Regardless, we wish Irwin-Hill well and hope he’ll put up a spirited fight for a roster spot this summer.