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The Buffalo Bills cycled through more punters last season than they had in the previous six years. Yes, the team had three punters in 2018 after using a total of three punters (Shawn Powell, Brian Moorman, and Colton Schmidt) from 2012-2017.
Part of the issue with Buffalo’s punters was ineffectiveness, but there was an injury component to the need for multiple punters, as well. In our latest installment of our “90 players in 90 days” series, we profile the punter who was injured on a pretty bizarre play last season.
Name: Corey Bojorquez
Number: 9
Position: P
Height/Weight: 6’ 208 lbs.
Age: 22 (23 on 9/13/19)
Experience/Draft: 1; signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots following the 2018 NFL Draft
College: New Mexico
Acquired: Claimed off waivers on 9/2/18
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Bojorquez enters the second year of a three-year pact signed with the Patriots last year. The total value of the contract is $1,710,000, and none of the money is guaranteed, so Buffalo can release Bojorquez with no cap penalty if they so choose.
2018 Recap: Bojorquez spent the preseason with New England last year, but he did not punt once during his time with the team. He was waived once the Patriots cut their roster down to 53 players, but the Bills claimed him on September 2—waiving their incumbent punter, Colton Schmidt, to make room for Bojorquez. He punted quite well in his first game, punting eight times for an average of 49.6 yards per kick. He landed three punts inside the 20 in that 47-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a net average of 42.9 yards per punt. He continued punting well, but he injured his shoulder on an awkward fake field goal attempt against the Tennessee Titans where Bojorquez was the only player on the Bills’ side who thought a fake had been called. Bojorquez was able to punt in the team’s next three games, but he ultimately was placed on injured reserve October 31 due to the shoulder injury. For the year, Bojorquez punted 45 times, placing 22 kicks inside the 20 and four in the end zone for touchbacks. He averaged 46.1 yards per punt (41.2 yards net) and had 1 punt blocked.
Positional outlook: Bojorquez faces off against Cory Carter in a punting duel of men by the same name with a different spelling.
2019 Offseason: Bojorquez is fully healed from that shoulder injury, and he has participated in all offseason activities to date.
2019 Season outlook: Bojorquez punted well in his time with Buffalo last season, but the team looked to be ready to pass the torch to Carter last season before he tore his ACL versus the Cleveland Browns in the preseason. The battle for punting supremacy won’t be an easy one for either player to win, and while Corey has the in-game experience, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Cory were to come out on top.