As reported by 3DownNation, the Bucs’ punter revolving door may continue in 2025 when they sign Canadian Football League punter Jake Julien to a reserve/future contract. Julien was released by the Edmonton Elks on Wednesday to pursue NFL opportunities.
Scott Reynolds is in his 30th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR’s Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A
graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons’ Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at:
The Bucs worked him out on December 10 and he is expected to sign with Tampa Bay next week, according to 3DownNation.
The 6-foot-two, 217-pound punter had 107 punts for 5,773 yards during the Elks’ 2024 season. He led the CFL in gross average (54.0 yards) and net average (40.0 yards). That broke the league’s single-season gross punting record of 50.6 set by future Super Bowl champion Jon Ryan in 2005. Julien also tied for the CFL lead with eight punts downed inside the 10-yard line and recorded 15 single-point “rouges,” including an incredible game-winner in overtime.
The Bucs were one of at least six NFL teams that worked out Julien since the CFL season ended, including the Broncos, Steelers, Jets, Giants, and Vikings. The Edmonton Elks will retain his exclusive CFL rights through February 2026.
Julien was born in Barrie, Ontario, Canada was originally chosen by the Ottawa Redblacks in the fourth round of the 2021 CFL Draft. He played collegiately at Eastern Michigan with Bucs outside linebacker Jose Ramirez. In his five seasons with the Eagles, Julien punted 221 times in 54 games, averaging 44 yards per attempt.
He had 71 punts downed inside in the 20-yard line with 51 punts that were 50 yards or more. Julien was a second-team All-MAC punter as a senior and signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2022 before being released in training camp.
Bucs Went Through 3 Punters In 2024
Bucs P Jack Browning – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
After drafting punter Jake Camarda in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team became disenchanted with him at the end of the 2023 season. Camarda became wildly inconsistent and never found the desired level of consistency this past season.
Camarda lasted four games as Tampa Bay’s punter, averaging 45.3 yards per punt with a 36.5-yard net average. He had five punts downed inside the 20-yard line and no touchbacks. He was released after practice squad punter Trenton Gill took his job. Gill averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a 38.9-yard net average. He had nine punts downed inside the 20-yard line and just one touchback but a rough outing in Dallas in a 26-24 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football led to his dismissal.
Jack Browning was another practice squad punter who got elevated for three games and then finally signed to the active roster near the end of the season. The rookie averaged 42.5 yards with a 34.6-yard net, so naturally the Bucs are looking for an upgrade in 2025.
Browning did not have a punt downed inside the 20-yard line and had one touchback in the regular season. He punted better in the Wild Card loss to Washington with two punts that averaged 48.5 yards and a 40-yard net. One of his two punts was downed inside the 20.
Don’t use a draft pick period please. Unnecessary and hasn’t worked at all here. Kickers and pass rushers are Lichts kryptonite. lol
Oh in a perfect world I totally agree. I’m looking for baby steps here lol. Probably can’t get Licht to not draft them. Just hoping if he does, it’s not until day 3. Id prefer to stick with UDFA’s or FA’s. We’ve had way more success with guys off the scrap heap
Still not sold that JTS, Diaby, Braswell, & Hall are the busts they seem to be. Unfortunately not gonna happen it seems, but woulda love to see them in a new scheme with proper coaching.
It’s not ALL coaching and scheme bro. Might be “mostly”, but not “all”. Like I mentioned in a previous article. Hall is soft. A coach can’t make a player be tough and play to win. A play early in the game, that I thought turned out to be one of the biggest plays of the game. 4th and 1 at our 20 for the Commanders. We were up 3-0, and the Commanders were on their 17 play 92 yard, 9 minute drive. A stop on 4th down would have been deflating to not get points on that long of a… Read more »
Matt Gay became a Pro Bowl kicker, but we were too impatient with him. Martin Gramatica was a pretty good kicker too.
Yes, exactly, and most could play linebacker at a pinch! As an “aussie rules” football player (not soccer), they have to pay as an outfield player, handle the ball, and make tackles. I jest about playing linebacker but they would be far superior to any other kicker in terms of making tackles. The sad thing was that Jake Camarda was one of the most athletic punters in the league – there were obviously other issues behind the scenes.
Guess where best kicker Branson Aubrey for Dallas was drafted? He wasn’t! Wasn’t in nfl draft. Soccer and XFL player. Not a punter but same premise applies to any kickers imo.
Agree – it doesn’t matter how promising a kicker or punter looks, they are ten a penny in free agency whether as an UFDA or on the street. As the Bucs have seen to their cost, highly promising kickers and punters ‘worthy’ of a draft pick will flame out worse than most. Far better to use a 7th round pick as a ‘punt’ on a backup LB, Safety or TE. Like Devin Culp, for example, who looks like he can play.
This is a great move
I still question the so called demise of Comarda. Inconsistent? Compared to what we replaced him with? I don’t see it that way at all.
Hope Julian can field snaps and handle NFL pressure. This aint the CFL.
Go Bucs!
I’m sure curious as to how Camarda followed Josh Freeman swirling down the drain.
Doug Flutie and Warren Moon seemed to manage it! CFL has a different level of athleticism which is why generally most promising CFL players can’t transition to the NFL even if skilful and productive, but that shouldn’t apply to a punter so much. The skills are also slightly different which is why lots of discarded backup NFL QBs don’t get anywhere in the CFL, Jonny Manziel being a case in point.
I hope we put this kind of emphasis on finding somebody,,,ANYBODY,,,that be a great “return” specialist.