Chris Kluwe: I'm best punter in Minnesota Vikings' lore

NEW YORK -- Chris Kluwe has been one of the better punters in the NFL since he joined the league in 2005. That's why it came as a surprise Saturday when the Minnesota Vikings took the first punter off the board in UCLA's Jeff Locke.

Top 100 Players of 2013

Make sure you vote for the Top 100 players of 2013. Voting ends May 31. Get your vote in. More ...

Teams don't draft punters to sit on the bench. Kluwe's job is in danger.

"I'm looking forward to competing for the Vikings' punting job, as I would love to spend my entire career here, and as the best punter in Vikings history, I'm enjoying the chance to show what I can do," Kluwe said in a text message to ProFootballTalk.com on Saturday.

Kluwe also is one of the best quotes in the league. It's not really fair, but that might be a big reason why the Vikings are looking for a new punter. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said in December that Kluwe's "distractions" were "getting old." It's quite possible the Vikings just want a punter who isn't often in the news.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.