Is Kicker Top Priority?

[railcon56]

I dont think John Hall was ever completely healthy this year.... was it a hamstring??? anyone that has played knows they will always be a nuisance till you rest them...but Hall is a good kicker......

[j_j__l]

I agree with you guys on Hall...it's time to let the garbage out...As for Frost, dont worry about it, Tupa will be back next year....The real question would be is there going to be a FA Kicker out there for us to pick up...because we dont have the draft picks to waist on a Top Kicker coming out of college.

[SanFranSkinsFan]

Originally Posted by j_j__l

I agree with you guys on Hall...it's time to let the garbage out...As for Frost, dont worry about it, Tupa will be back next year....The real question would be is there going to be a FA Kicker out there for us to pick up...because we dont have the draft picks to waist on a Top Kicker coming out of college.

I think we need 1-2 WRs and a pass rushing DE more than a kicker, who I am sure we won't draft, we'll either go with a vet, an undrafted rookie, or John Hall if he gets his act together. When I was at Madison he was kicking there, touchbacks all the time and a MUCH bigger leg than he has now. He is gimpy.

[cpayne5]

John Hall is a kicker that we can win with, and a kicker that can help us win. He is a very good kicker. For all you bozos out there that don't understand that, maybe you should go back and take a look at the late 90s/ early 00s. We would have killed for what we now have in John Hall.

[j_j__l]

Originally Posted by cpayne5

John Hall is a kicker that we can win with, and a kicker that can help us win. He is a very good kicker. For all you bozos out there that don't understand that, maybe you should go back and take a look at the late 90s/ early 00s. We would have killed for what we now have in John Hall.

I agree with you about the 90s and 00s, but that was also the same time that Hall was in his prime...Now that we have him in the MID 00s, he's hurt to much for his salary and doesn't kick the ball deep anough on kickoffs for his salary...

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by j_j__l

I agree with you about the 90s and 00s, but that was also the same time that Hall was in his prime...Now that we have him in the MID 00s, he's hurt to much for his salary and doesn't kick the ball deep anough on kickoffs for his salary...

If you notice, I never made a connection between our kicking situation in the 90s/00s and John Hall's concurrent successes. I referred to then and the *current* JH.

It's not like we're talking $5million/yr here. His salary for 2006 & 2007 is $1.5mill. That's chump change. What would we save by cutting him? After signing another kicker, only about $.5mill. So it boils down to, would you rather save a half million and get a young kicker, or risk a half million on a known kicker who has had some injury issues? I'll take John Hall any day of the week on that one.

[j_j__l]

maybe i miss read your quote on the 90/100s...but at this point in time i would save the .5 Million, and get the best younger/healthier/stronger kicker...then a kicker that has shown the past 2 years he can't stay healthy...and half of this year he didn't have any leg left and then he missed what use to be a chip shot for him in the playoffs against SEA...WE've all seen kickers get replaced because of less.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Also remember that Vandy shanked one for the Colts. Hall at least is proven. I'd say give him the offseason to rehab that leg and increase the strength and see what he does next year and then pass out judgements.

Come on now, you can't want to cut a guy who does a forward roll when he does something good!

[j_j__l]

(forward roll)LOL.....I was never a big fan of Vandy, just because i'm not sold he's a team player...with that in mind he looks like he might get cut, salary....We will see, but my opinion as of right now would be to really be looking for options if i was Gibbs.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Oh, in no way shape or form would I suggest getting Vandy. He'll command more than Hall AND be a bad team player. I'm just saying you don't cut someone because they miss chip shot field goals. If teams did, Jay Feely would have been looking for jobs many times this year.

[j_j__l]

TRUE on Feely...but honestly the chip shot was just an add on...I was more worried about the kickoffs and having to be with in the 20 for his leg to reach the FieldGoal.

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by j_j__l

maybe i miss read your quote on the 90/100s...but at this point in time i would save the .5 Million, and get the best younger/healthier/stronger kicker...then a kicker that has shown the past 2 years he can't stay healthy...and half of this year he didn't have any leg left and then he missed what use to be a chip shot for him in the playoffs against SEA...WE've all seen kickers get replaced because of less.

None that are as good as John Hall, though.

Statistically, JH had his best year last year. FG percentage of 85.7%.

You should go and compare JH's situational statistics to the likes of Akers, Vanderjagt, & Vinatiery.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I'm not sure if you heard this, but Danny Smith was talking to Hall AND Novak asking them to kick the ball higher rather than farther to make sure the coverage unit could make it down the field.

Just an FYI for anyone, we had the highest rated kick coverage team in the NFL.

[j_j__l]

Thanks for the stats Malcolm and cpayne....I actually didn't realize his FG% was that high...It just seamed that we would never try a FG near or over 40yrds when Hall came back from injury.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I was mentioning this to cpayne over IM and we also need to realize that just like LaVar, Hall has spent this year rehabbing his injury. Give him the offseason to work on his strength and not just rehab and I bet he'll be back to his old shadow-boxing self.