Does gostkowski deserve a raise? What about some vacation time?

[chasa]

hes a team player, and he fosters a positive work enviroment.

 

[Rob0729]

Good to see him getting some national commercials, but he certainly deserves a contract extension.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Good to see him getting some national commercials, but he certainly deserves a contract extension.

As I've been saying: unlike most players, kickers tend to improve with time. There is no reason to believe Gostkowski can't still be in this league a decade from now.

Moreover, Belichick now has a kicker he trusts. Letting that kicker go (worse still, to another top-tier team), and then having to start over with a new kicker, would be a mistake.

 

[Froob]

Hilarious. Still perplexed by what happened two years ago when he was probably one missed kick against the Jets away from his job being in serious jeopardy. Glad he's been able to turn it around.

 

[borg]

Moreover, Belichick now has a kicker he trusts.

That's true.....but it took awhile. Last year, IMO,was the first year BB showed complete faith in the kid and let him consistently attempt the longer FGs. Hard to believe this is his 9th year as a Patriot...2 more years than Vinatieri (7 yrs). AV has more years as a Colt, 9,...and his 2013 season was one of his best....Like a fine wine

 

[chasa]

Hilarious. Still perplexed by what happened two years ago when he was probably one missed kick against the Jets away from his job being in serious jeopardy. Glad he's been able to turn it around.

I pretty sure it's got to do with the way that the punter was holding the ball on the kicks, once we went from Mesko to Allen, Ghost went from hard to watch to almost automatic.

 

[Galeb]

hes a team player, and he fosters a positive work enviroment.

Superb idea and good execution.

 

[dales804]

You can't ice the Gost!

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

The guy has been money all year, he has more than enough leg, and he is constantly putting his KO out of the back of the endzone (half the time they go through the uprights).

Absolutely deserves an extension and a raise (without having to wait outside the office).

 

[spo]

As I've been saying: unlike most players, kickers tend to improve with time. There is no reason to believe Gostkowski can't still be in this league a decade from now.

Moreover, Belichick now has a kicker he trusts. Letting that kicker go (worse still, to another top-tier team), and then having to start over with a new kicker, would be a mistake.

A mistake that we already did.

 

[dales804]

A mistake that we already did.

You think NE made a mistake letting Vinatieri go and replacing him with Gostkowski?

 

[primetime]

You think NE made a mistake letting Vinatieri go and replacing him with Gostkowski?

That's a difficult question to answer. Theoreticals are worth next to nothing, but Vinatieri could have made the difference in both the 2006 AFCCG and the 2007 Super Bowl - not because Gostkowski was a worse kicker, but because the coaching staff trusted Vinatieri more in extreme pressure situations and the result was more attempts to go for it on 4th down (especially that one head-scratcher in 07). On the other hand, Gostkowski is undoubtedly a better kicker now.

So, basically, it's complicated.

 

[dales804]

That's a difficult question to answer. Theoreticals are worth next to nothing, but Vinatieri could have made the difference in both the 2006 AFCCG and the 2007 Super Bowl - not because Gostkowski was a worse kicker, but because the coaching staff trusted Vinatieri more in extreme pressure situations and the result was more attempts to go for it on 4th down (especially that one head-scratcher in 07). On the other hand, Gostkowski is undoubtedly a better kicker now.

So, basically, it's complicated.

I see what you're saying and I don't think anyone wanted to see AV go. But Gost has been good since he got here. And he hit a 50 yarder in SD in the Divisional Round in 2006, so they must have had some kind of confidence in him. Maybe AV gets a chance at that field goal in XLVI but the o-line was terrible that game and the defense got worn down.

Like you said, though, now Gost has been lights out. And the value of his kickoff power is somewhat diminished since the KO was moved up 5 yards. Simply, I haven't really missed AV since Gost took over.

 

[strngplyr]

Starting in 2013, he's 46 of 49, including a new career long of 54 (he can definitely hit 57+ if given the chance), with 6 kicks over 50 and 14 from 40-49.

I think he deserves a raise, or at least job security. Good kickers are hard to come by if you look around the league.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That's a difficult question to answer. Theoreticals are worth next to nothing, but Vinatieri could have made the difference in both the 2006 AFCCG and the 2007 Super Bowl - not because Gostkowski was a worse kicker, but because the coaching staff trusted Vinatieri more in extreme pressure situations and the result was more attempts to go for it on 4th down (especially that one head-scratcher in 07). On the other hand, Gostkowski is undoubtedly a better kicker now.

So, basically, it's complicated.

Of course, there's also the flip side of the coin: how much closer would games have been in 2006 especially if Vinatieri were still handling kickoffs? The Colts have to have a punter capable of kicking off in order to carry Vinatieri.

 

[SVN]

I love Adam V but kicking in the dome has to have helped prolonged his career

 

[Froob]

Adam is still pretty ****ing good though. I'll still take Adam over anybody with the game on the line (no disrespect to Gost, he hasn't had too many high pressured kicks in comparison to Adam).

 

[Ivan]

For all of the crap Belichick takes for his draft picks people always seem to forget all of the really good ones, and Gostkowski was a really good pick.

 

[SuperStang83]

Wow, it really is amazing that he has been a Patriot that long!! He really has turned it around from a few years ago though!