Hypothetical: no cap, Pats tender the Ghost

[ctpatsfan77]

Let's assume 2010 will be uncapped.

Gostkowski will be an RFA. The Pats could tender him at $2.4M, requiring a first, or at $3M, requiring a first and a third.

Could you see teams making a play for Gostkowski even with such a tender?

[I ask because this has become a bone of contention on some other boards I visit.]

 

[Rob0729]

No one other than maybe Al Davis would give up a first rounder for a kicker.

 

[spacecrime]

I love our kicker but I would trade him in a second for a first round pick.

Don''t you remember teh angst over using a fourth round pick over a kicker?

Do you remember the maroons who wanted to keep Grammitca and cut Gostkowski after his first training camp and called him Gost-Miss-Ki?

Yeah, $2.4 mil is plenty.

 

[Rob0729]

I love our kicker but I would trade him in a second for a first round pick.

Don''t you remember teh angst over using a fourth round pick over a kicker?

Do you remember the maroons who wanted to keep Grammitca and cut Gostkowski after his first training camp and called him Gost-Miss-Ki?

Yeah, $2.4 mil is plenty.

I agree. No kicker is worth a first rounder. It would be difficult to replace his ability to kick balls out of the back of the endzone, but most football stats show that there really isn't a huge variation between the top kickers and middle of the pack kickers in terms of field goal percentages over a several year basis. I think Football Outsider did an article on it a few months back.

As for Gostkowski, he was a victim of the legend of Adam Vinatieri when he first got here. Unless he made every kick no matter the distance, he would not measure up eventhough Vinatieri had a few mediocre years here.

 

[smg93]

Didn't the Pats franchise Vinatieri a couple times? I wouldn't put it past them to do the same with Gostkowski should the situations be similar next year.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Didn't the Pats franchise Vinatieri a couple times? I wouldn't put it past them to do the same with Gostkowski should the situations be similar next year.

I didn't mention that possibility, but it's available to them, even if Gostkowski is an RFA. [In fact, it might actually be cheaper for the Pats to franchise him than tender him, but it would mean no franchise tag for anyone else.]

 

[Patspsycho]

I didn't mention that possibility, but it's available to them, even if Gostkowski is an RFA. [In fact, it might actually be cheaper for the Pats to franchise him than tender him, but it would mean no franchise tag for anyone else.]

Including Wilfork

 

[aurakilla]

As for Gostkowski, he was a victim of the legend of Adam Vinatieri when he first got here. Unless he made every kick no matter the distance, he would not measure up eventhough Vinatieri had a few mediocre years here.

i disagree the chargers game in 06 i think brought him up to par when he kicked the game winner!

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Ghost's best attribute isn't his field goal percentage, it's his long, deep kickoffs. He also does an excellent job in kick coverage.... he had a TD saving tackle on a Ginn return Sunday. In other words, there is no weakness in Ghost's game, and he is the best kicker in football. I would offer Ghost a good, long-term deal. If it's legal, I may even consider a 7 or 8 year contract.

Oops, forgot to mention, he's 25 years old, driven and very professional. Classic Patriot.

 

[DarrylS]

Ghost's best attribute isn't his field goal percentage, it's his long, deep kickoffs. He also does an excellent job in kick coverage.... he had a TD saving tackle on a Ginn return Sunday. In other words, there is no weakness in Ghost's game, and he is the best kicker in football. I would offer Ghost a good, long-term deal. If it's legal, I may even consider a 7 or 8 year contract.

Oops, forgot to mention, he's 25 years old, driven and very professional. Classic Patriot.

In 2007 he was 25th in field goals according to NFL Stats.
In 2008 he was first in Field Goals according to NFL stats
In 2009 he is second in field goals according to NFL stats

In 2007 he was 14th in kickoffs
in 2008 he was 26th in kickoffs
In 2009 he is 10th in kickoffs

IMO those are pretty good numbers... and things are not what they appear to be...

NFL Stats: by Player Category

 

[NEGoldenAge]

In 2007 he was 25th in field goals according to NFL Stats.
In 2008 he was first in Field Goals according to NFL stats
In 2009 he is second in field goals according to NFL stats

In 2007 he was 14th in kickoffs
in 2008 he was 26th in kickoffs
In 2009 he is 10th in kickoffs

IMO those are pretty good numbers... and things are not what they appear to be...

NFL Stats: by Player Category

Those are AMAZING stats when you consider he plays in MA in an outdoor stadium, with 2 division rivals in Northeast, outdoor stadiums. Ghost is the best in the business.

 

[atlpatsfan]

I agree. No kicker is worth a first rounder. It would be difficult to replace his ability to kick balls out of the back of the endzone, but most football stats show that there really isn't a huge variation between the top kickers and middle of the pack kickers in terms of field goal percentages over a several year basis. I think Football Outsider did an article on it a few months back.

As for Gostkowski, he was a victim of the legend of Adam Vinatieri when he first got here. Unless he made every kick no matter the distance, he would not measure up eventhough Vinatieri had a few mediocre years here.

After we got backed up 5 yards this week and he still kicked it out of the endzone. I say we keep him forever.

 

[patchick]

In 2007 he was 14th in kickoffs
in 2008 he was 26th in kickoffs
In 2009 he is 10th in kickoffs

Darryl, I think those numbers are wrong -- you're including everybody who kicked off even once. Using your same measure of avg. gross distance but a minimum threshold of 50 kicks, Ghost ranks:
8th in 2007
18th in 2008
8th (projected) in 2009

Beyond that, avg. distance isn't necessarily the right number to track. Using a composite measure that also includes TB% and return avg, things start to look different. There's a core group of 8 strong and consistent KO guys in the NFL over the 2007-2009 period: : Akers, Crosby, Gostkowski, Janikowski, Koenen, Lloyd, Rackers, Scobee. Of that group, only Akers, Crosby & Gostkowski have to contend with any significant elements -- and Gostkowski's leg is taxed most often with both KO's and FGAs.

(And of course, Gostkowski is consistently the most reliable field goal kicker among the elite KO guys, giving him a solid claim as the best all-around kicker in the NFL.)

 

[fair catch fryar]

After we got backed up 5 yards this week and he still kicked it out of the endzone. I say we keep him forever.

At his age he is only going to get better, so it would make sense to pay him similar to what they had originally offered Vinatieri per year, but in the form of multiple years and then they can franchise Wilfork if they have to.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Ghost dealt with some SEVERE wind games in 08, and with only 16 games in a season, that can really skew the numbers. He's also listed at 6'1", 215 lbs.

As clutch as Vinateri was, Ghost is much more valuable to this organization. The kid is 25, a classic Patriot, and the best all-around kicker in the NFL. Don't poison your relationship with this kid by tagging him. Offer him a good deal for many years. This kid is worth it.

 

[strongside]

Didn't the Pats franchise Vinatieri a couple times? I wouldn't put it past them to do the same with Gostkowski should the situations be similar next year.

I think the best approach would be to lock him up longterm while he is young and then go the franchise route. I believe they had Vinatieri on a 3 year deal prior to using the franchise tag for a ccouple of years.

 

[Synovia]

Ghost's best attribute isn't his field goal percentage, it's his long, deep kickoffs..

It is. It also helps though that hes actually a better field goal kicker than Vinateri was.

He's probably the best in the leaugue (or one of the top 3), but for a 1st? Send him packing.

 

[JFK]

wouldn't let Gost go for a 1st. When you start missing field goals and start kicking to the Cribbs and Hester's you'll see why.

 

[zoostation]

In 2007 he was 25th in field goals according to NFL Stats.
In 2008 he was first in Field Goals according to NFL stats
In 2009 he is second in field goals according to NFL stats

In 2007 he was 14th in kickoffs
in 2008 he was 26th in kickoffs
In 2009 he is 10th in kickoffs

IMO those are pretty good numbers... and things are not what they appear to be...

NFL Stats: by Player Category

He didn't kick any in 2007 as they had to settle for touchdowns ;=)

 

[Synovia]

wouldn't let Gost go for a 1st. When you start missing field goals and start kicking to the Cribbs and Hester's you'll see why.

The difference between bad kickers and good ones is a fieldgoal or two a season.

Yeah, his kickoffs are great, but their are plenty of college soccer/rugby players out there.