Dan Carpenter -- a liability

[Dave Gray]

I am fine with how Carpenter kicks FGs.  His accuracy, and even his distance are acceptable.

But his kickoffs are terrible.  They're very short, sometimes being FIELDED at as far up as the 20 yard line.  Look at his kicks vs. Buffalo and compare it to the Bill's kicker, who was regularly putting the ball inside the 5 or into the endzone.  We lost 10-15 yards in hidden yardage in every kick exchange.

Would it be out of the question to carry 2 kickers?  I think about a guy like Olindo Mare.  He started missing big kicks by the time we cut him loose, but he was a fantastic kickoff guy.   Do you think it's a possibility that we could bring him in to only do kickoffs?  You'd think that it'd be worth the roster spot to make up for 10 yards on every single kickoff exchange.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Maybe our punter, Brandon Fields could handle kickoffs.  He seems to have a stronger leg. 

[Brian Fein]

Mare is on a roster, I thought.  Seattle? 

I thought the big knock on Feely was that he had no deep leg on kickoffs, and Carpenter was supposed to be the answer to that.  What happened?

When Mike Nugent is healthy, I suspect Feely will become available again.

[Phishfan]

I don't think this is his doing. I think the special teams coach has put a strategy in place for a high short kick. That should allow a cover team (which still sucks) to get there.

I don't think this is attributed to Carpenter.

[NADS]

Why does our ST coverage suck?  Didn't we take half or the Cowboys ST studs?

[fyo]

I'm pretty sure it would be easy to find a "big-leg" guy with poor accuracy. No reason to get an old player for that. Get a young guy and hope his accuracy improves enough to win the full-time job.

That said, I don't think there's any chance the Trifecta will go out and add a kicker. No way. If they found someone they believed was better, overall, than Carpenter... sure. But not in addition to him.

And, yeah, our special teams coverage still sucks. It's been bad every game this year. Our point guys over-pursue and take poor angles and the "backup" arrives late. I really think "point tackler on special teams" is an underrated skill. I don't know who played that role for the 'Boys last year, but I doubt we got him.

[DolFan619]

  I think the Special Team coaches seem more intent on doing directional, high hanging, kickoffs versus the traditional boom it to the end zone type of kicks.  Put it on the coaches, not Carpenter.

[Dave Gray]

I don't think this is his doing. I think the special teams coach has put a strategy in place for a high short kick. That should allow a cover team (which still sucks) to get there.

I don't think this is attributed to Carpenter.

Fair enough.  If that's the case, then good....but something needs to be addresses.  We cannot afford this amount of hidden yardage lost.

[Phishfan]

I agree completely with you.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Problem with having separate guys for KO and FG is you only can bring 44 guys to the game and carry 53 on the roster. 

22 starters.
1 back up Qb
3 kickers
1 ls

If you have three kickers that is one less guy in the rotation on offense or defense.  Limiting your options particularly if their is an injury rash.

So if you want to go the three kicker route you must be able to answer the following questions:

Who gets cut from the 53 man roster?
Who would have not been activated in each game? 
What impact would that missing player have had in the games?

[Defense54]

I agree^^^. The special teams will be addressed big time in the Off Season. Carpenter better do leg lifts all next winter...........

[Dave Gray]

Hoodie,

I appreciate your point, but I ask you this.  If it is the kicker (assuming it's not deliberately poor, as discussed above) causing us 10-15 yards on every exchange, isn't that worth the roster spot, even if it means less depth elsewhere.  And besides, most of your "tweeners" on the 53 man roster are reserved for those that can make an impact on special teams?

Phish shut me up, because I think he may be right, in that Carpenter is kicking this way because our coverage team is so poor, and if that's the case, all bets are off.  But, if indeed it's Carpenter's poor leg that's costing us, I think it'd be worth the roster spot, even at the expense of another player.

I don't think John Beck is doing much to help out these days.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^ I am not saying 3 kickers is out of the question.  I am saying that before you decide 3 kickers is the answer.  You have to be able to answer those questions. If you have a guy that is in the 44 active players that you feel you can get rid then sure. 

Field position is important. Some teams have a dedicated long snappers.  On some teams that person has other roles as well.  It comes down to the priorities give the personnel you have to work with.  Occasionally someone will come around who can do both the kicker and punter role freeing up yet another slot. 

Depth is important for several reasons.  One is rotation another is injuries.  I know the Patriots ran into serious issue with DBs this past game to the point WRs were being used as safeties. 

I think the best solution is to invest in the FA market for someone who can do a solid job both on kickoffs and fgs. 

[Phishfan]

Phish shut me up,

Although I do enjoy a giving a good verbal beat down, this sounds harsh.

[Dave Gray]

Let me clarify.

Phish combated my point logical and clearly, insomuch that further debate on said subject was unwarranted.