Kickers in the draft

[Doc]

48 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said:

For sure. I think the majority of the quarterbacks who are good, special etc. (aside from 199 and a few outliers) are quarterbacks drafted in the first round. That’s the biggest thing, you want to get a quarterback? Odds are you need to find him in the first round. 
 

That is not the case with kickers, you can find them anywhere and the majority are UDFAs. You just have to find the right one. So I guess my point is that if you look at the draft as a science, history says draft a quarterback early, do not draft a kicker anywhere.  

 

Yeah, if you think a QB will be good, you don't wait to draft him.  I used to argue with a Cheaters fan who tried to claim that the Cheaters knew they could get Brady at the end of the 6th round.

[UConn James]

I would support picking the best punter, even as early as round 4 if need be. Corey B is SO inconsistent, shanks too many, and doesn’t show much leg strength.

[The Dean]

On 4/10/2020 at 3:50 PM, Lurker said:

The Pats cut this guy in December, but may invite him back to training camp:

 

 

 

 

Very impressive leg, but as others have pointed out, what percentage is he making?

 

Even then, this is VERY different than kicking FGs in a game.  No snap, no rush, no holder. While he isn't  kicking off a tee, he otherwise has total control of his strike point---and there is zero pressure. What happens when timing comes into play? What if it isn't PERFECT? What if the hold isn't PERFECT? What if there is a bad a$$ rush coming at him.

 

I'm not suggesting he isn't worth a look, but to me, this is a lot like QB Alex Tanney doing trick shots. Not sure it translates to game situations,.

Edited April 11, 2020 by The Dean

[JimS]

On 4/11/2020 at 12:11 PM, Limeaid said:

 

The mistake with Aguayo was he did not kick many long kicks in college. He could kick long but not accurate (anyone need kickoff specialist?).

 

What about Sebastian Janikowski, the Polish Pounder, selected by the Oakland Raiders 17th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft?

He was a weapon for Raiders for many years.

 

 

 

You mean The Polish Cannon. "The Polish Pounder" was a movie I was in in College.

[The Dean]

3 hours ago, JimS said:

 

You mean The Polish Cannon. "The Polish Pounder" was a movie I was in in College.

 

 

 

Bravo!

[RaoulDuke79]

Damn....I wish I could remember the guys name, but during the bowl games I posted in the college forum about a guy who looked really good. I'll try and go back and find it.

[LABILLBACKER]

Hauschka finished the season going 11-11 which only brought his year percentage to 78. Without that streak probably stirred by the threat of another pk coming in, he would've had one of his worst seasons. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to draft a Bass or Blackenship in the 6th or 7th?

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

Kickers are criminally undervalued. I have been beating this drum for a long time. They win and lose games more than most individual positions. An elite kicker makes a huge difference.

[Doc]

6 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Kickers are criminally undervalued. I have been beating this drum for a long time. They win and lose games more than most individual positions. An elite kicker makes a huge difference.

 

People know the importance of them.  The question is, is drafting one the best way to go and if so, who is the guy who can't miss and where do you take him?

[CapeBreton]

Bills haven’t interviewed any kickers, wouldn’t count on this being the year we draft one.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, CapeBreton said:

Bills haven’t interviewed any kickers, wouldn’t count on this being the year we draft one.

If that's the case then enjoy 78% House money.....

[The Dean]

13 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If that's the case then enjoy 78% House money.....

 

 

You do understand there are ways. other than the draft, to acquire players---right?

 

And I also don't buy the conclusion the Bills won't draft a K just because there haven't been any interviews reported. But I suspect (with the exception of an exceptional college K available late in the draft) House Money's competition will be drawn from FA and UDFA candidates. Most NFL kickers were not drafted. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

On 4/11/2020 at 10:48 AM, MrEpsYtown said:

It’s just that they are such specialized skills that if you have one guy doing both jobs, he probably won’t be able to truly do a great job at both. There is also increased chance of injury and dead leg. The limited time in practice also hurts. Having an effective punter and kicker is way more important than having and extra 4th string linebacker. 

 

Typically you have the kicker, punter, and longsnapper essentially doing their own mini practice.  Thats why punters hold for kickers.  If you only had 2, then you have to take another guy away from practicing at his actual position to hold FGs.