Eagles Work Out Just-Released Steelers Punter

After failing to trade him, former Steelers punter Braden Mann was waved last week. Pressley Harvin III won the job, and Pittsburgh kept Mann, hoping to trade him to another team. That other team was the Philadelphia Eagles, who had reported interest in Mann when the Jets released him, but the Steelers claimed him off waivers. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Eagles hosted Mann for a workout on Monday.

Philadelphia does not have a punter on the roster. Last Tuesday, they waived their incumbent punter, Arryn Siposs, leaving the team without a punter on their initial 53-man roster. Mann could be the solution and the guy that Howie Roseman likes for the job.

The Cincinnati Bengals waived Drue Chrisman, and the New England Patriots waived Corliss Waitman, who had better yards per punt averages than Mann did with the New York Jets. Since Waitman signed to the Patriots practice squad. However, the Eagles still seem plenty interested in Mann despite that.

The Steelers claimed Mann on waivers from the Jets on April 14. In three seasons in New York, he posted an average of 45.4 yards per punt and landed 60 punts inside the 20-yard line, including a career-high 27 this past season. However, his net punting yardage came in only at 39.5 net yards per punt over the three seasons, posting a 40.6 net yardage per punt in 2022.

Harvin finished 19th in the NFL in net punting average at 41.1, a three-yard improvement over his rookie season, and his 137 total return yards was the second-fewest among regular punters. But his gross average was just 44.5, or 28th in the league, because of too many short kicks off the side of his foot.

Harvin showed improved consistency during training camp and the preseason, and that, in addition to his bigger leg, was enough for him to win the job.