Mason: Packers could use DeBauche

by Tyler Mason

Monday, December 1, 2008 00:00

It would be silly to say a punter could make or break a team’s season, but it’s evident Green Bay Packer fans aren’t happy with Derrick Frost.

Multiple times Sunday, the boo birds could be heard at Lambeau Field after a pair of Frost punts failed to satisfy the Packer-backers. Funny thing is, Frost actually improved his punting average after the loss to the Carolina Panthers. Still, he sits near the bottom of the NFL for punting average at 42 yards per boot.

Remind me again, why did Green Bay opt to go with Frost over Jon Ryan and his 44.4-yard per punt average from last season?

In hindsight, the Packers should have stuck with Ryan. Too late to call him back to Lambeau, though. He’s busy punting for the Seattle Seahawks, where he’s averaging 2-yard per punt better than he did a year ago.

So if Green Bay is to go a different route for the remainder of the season — again, that’s an if — there’s a former Badger who would be happy to answer the call.

Ken DeBauche began the Packers’ training camp fighting for a spot on the team’s 52-man roster. He left camp looking for a job, as he was cut in late July before the roster was finalized.

DeBauche knew his chances of making the team were slim heading into camp, but that wasn’t about to stop the life-long Packer fan from taking a chance with the team he grew up watching in nearby Suamico.

“There isn’t much that’s guaranteed in the NFL,” DeBauche told me back in April after signing a free agent contract with Green Bay. “I’ll have to go there right away and punt my best.”

Despite doing what he could to impress the Packer personnel, DeBauche was given the boot — as was the incumbent Ryan — leaving Green Bay with Derrick Frost as their punter.

You know the old saying about hindsight. Insert it here.

While bridges have been burned between the Packers and Ryan, DeBauche would make the ideal candidate to call up to replace Frost. In fact, he was asked to work out in early October after Frost struggled in a pair of lackluster performances against Tampa Bay and Atlanta — both of which were lost by Green Bay.

Yet following the workout, DeBauche was still without work, and Frost’s punting woes continued — as did the tempers of Cheeseheads across the state.

Let’s look at the hypothetical of what is really a no-lose situation for both sides. Suppose DeBauche comes in and fails to perform at the NFL level. Is that much different than what the Packers have on hand right now? At the very least, it would give DeBauche the chance of a lifetime, even if his only career punt ends up as a 20-yard shank.

“All I wanted was a chance. I wanted to get my foot in the door,” DeBauche said in April.

Let’s say he finally gets that chance and outkicks Frost. DeBauche is happy, the Packers are happy and their fans are happy too.

The only one coming out a loser in this scenario would obviously be Frost.

But Frost, a journeyman of sorts, has found work before and after leaving one team. He started with Cleveland and then made his way to Washington for three seasons before finally landing in Green Bay.

Every journeyman’s gotta start somewhere, right? The least the Packers could do is give DeBauche a job.

Just don’t call it a job.

“I don’t want to call it work, because it never will be work for me,” DeBauche said. “And hopefully I won’t have to work ever. I’ll just keep playing football.”

Tyler is a senior majoring in journalism. What do you think the Packers should do with their current punter situation? Let him know at tmason@badgerherald.com.