Green Bay Packers: Could Tim Masthay Be the Answer to the Punter Issue?

Everyone knows that the Green Bay Packers' special teams are anything but "special." They ranked as the worst special teams in league in 2009, and it was clear to Ted Thompson that he could no longer just ignore the problem.

Action had to be taken.

Jon Ryan was an above-average punter, but a terrible performance against Chicago in Week 16 of the 2007 season left Thompson convinced that he would need a new one soon, and Thompson's decision to release Ryan in the pursuing season has been one of his more controversial decisions as a General Manager.

Not just because Ryan became one of the best punters in the NFL, but because Jeremy Kapinos turned out to be one of the worst punters in the NFL. It was clearly just a bad decision.

But alas, we may have an answer for our problem.

Mike McCarthy had  stated in the 2010 offseason that the punting game was simply "unacceptable," and that action needed to be taken. So Green Bay's scouting team began to dig deep for anything they could find, and as is the Thompson way, they didn't find anyone that could start right away, but two players that had a lot of potential.

Enter Tim Masthay and Chris Bryan, who both competed for the punting job. Obviously, Masthay emerged the victor.

But as the season dragged on, it was clear that the punting game wasn't improving. Masthay even allowed a punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester in Week 3.

With such an unimpressive performance, Masthay was on the verge of being cut.

Fortunately, things turned around just in time for the 24-year-old rookie. In Week 8 of the 2010 season, Masthay had forced three fair catches and has been thriving ever since. Coach McCarthy was so pleased with the punting game that it nearly moved him to tears.

In two games against the Chicago Bears, Masthay was able to shut out the most feared return man in NFL history, Devin Hester. It's an accomplishment that seemed to go by completely unnoticed, and I personally feel that that is a huge mistake.

But that's another conversation for another time.

Masthay came into the preseason (against the Cleveland Browns) right where he left off; showing off his leg strength once again with a handful of 60-yard punts.

Masthay also had a few "average" punts, but that's either just rust or him still developing as a player. His leg strength is a testament to his potential, and there's every reason to expect him to get better.

The NFC North is filled with dangerous returners like Percy Harvin, Stefan Logan and as I mentioned earlier, Hester. While the kickoff rules are certainly unpopular, the Packers should benefit greatly from it, and Masthay only completes the cycle.

As a fan, I can't wait to see how Masthay develops into the Packers' system, and seeing how he can continue to effective shut down the return game of the NFC North rivals.

He's only 24 years old, so seeing him become the No. 1 man for the job should give Aaron Rodgers the solution he needs, and a solution that could potentially stay with him the rest of his career in Green Bay.