Derrick Frost News

Hunter Smith may not be available to punt in this Sunday's game at Carolina due to a groin injury.

And yet it was Washington's new punter, in his role as the holder for field goals, who crossed the goal line with the ball on a brilliantly executed fake field goal call by special teams coach Danny Smith with 21 seconds left in the first half.

During an offseason in which the Washington Redskins again spent millions of dollars in free agency, the acquisition of punter Hunter Smith is, at first glance, merely a footnote.

Smith's contract was, of course, well short of the $100 million and $55 million deals handed out, respectively, to headliners Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall. His signing didn't warrant a news conference or receive even the same amount of attention as the lower-profile acquisitions of guard Derrick Dockery or supplemental draft pick Jeremy Jarmon.

The essence of punting seems simple: hold a football in front of you, take proper aim and, for the most part, kick it as high and far as possible.

During an offseason in which the Washington Redskins again spent millions of dollars in free agency, the acquisition of punter Hunter Smith is, at first glance, merely a footnote.

Smith's contract was, of course, well short of the $100 million and $55 million deals handed out, respectively, to headliners Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall. His signing didn't warrant a news conference or receive even the same amount of attention as the lower-profile acquisitions of guard Derrick Dockery or supplemental draft pick Jeremy Jarmon.

The essence of punting seems simple: hold a football in front of you, take proper aim and, for the most part, kick it as high and far as possible.

Washington Redskins punter Hunter Smith, left, kicker Shaun Suisham, center, and head coach Jim Zorn talk during NFL football training camp at Redskins Park on Saturday, Aug.

If you decide to stop by the Washington Redskins training camp this summer, grab Head Coach Jim Zorn one day in the autograph line and ask him if he might be interested in one play that would almost always gain 20 yards or more each time he ran it... LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 10: Kicker Shawn Suisham #6 of the Washington Redskins kicks a field goal ...

The Green Bay Packers cannot afford to repeat last year's punting debacle, when their decision to scuttle incumbent Jon Ryan at the end of training camp blew up on them.

By the time training camp comes around the Bears will have a real good idea what their emergency punter list looks like for this season.