Britton

Colquitt

Colquitt was on his second year of the three-year deal he signed last offseason but struggled in the preseason. With JK Scott and Jordan Berry hitting the market earlier this week, the Vikings had other options to work with. They could also choose to bring Colquitt back if his release was done for roster maneuvering purposes.

The deal includes $5 million guaranteed. A few days shy of turning the calendar to 35, Colquitt is headed back to Minnesota following 62 punts (including 24 inside the 20-yard line) for the sixth-highest net yards per attempt (42.6) this past year. It was likely easy to strike another deal with the proven vet given his ties to OC Gary Kubiak from the Broncos’ 2015 Super Bowl run.

Colquitt was reportedly en route to Buffalo before being lured to Minnesota. The 34-year-old punter has ties to new Vikings assistant head coach Gary Kubiak stemming from their 2015 Super Bowl together with the Broncos. He’ll replace punter Matt Wile.

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported Saturday that “The Scottish Hammer” Jamie Gillan has won the Browns’ punting competition. Colquitt, a Pro Bowl alternate in 2018, was accordingly released in a corresponding roster move.

Ball closed out last season as the passing-down complement to Willis McGahee. The Broncos are expected to seek an upgrade for McGahee’s running mate in 2012. Boosted by Denver’s thin air, Britton graded out as Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked punter last season.

Aided by the Mile High City’s notoriously thin air, Colquitt graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 punter in 2011 while leading the NFL in punts dropped inside the 20-yard line.

The tender will pay Colquitt $2.023 million, and another team would have to give Denver a second-round choice in order to sign him away. That won’t happen. The two sides will try and work out a long-term deal. Britton’s brother, Dustin, just became the league’s highest-paid punter on Monday with the Chiefs.

The Broncos were initially expected to tender Colquitt at the second-round level, but they opted against it. The original-round tender will pay Colquitt $1.323 million. He finished third in the league with a 42.1 net average in 2012, while landing 27 punts inside the 20-yard line.

One of the top punters in the league, Colquitt was third in net punting average at 42.1 yards last season.

Colquitt, 28, was re-signed to a one-year, $1.323 million contract as a restricted free agent earlier in the offseason, but the two sides have long been interested in a long-term deal. He was third in net punting average (42.1) last season.