Is it time to draft a kicker in this years draft?

[Kdo5]

I wouldn't have trusted Gostkowski to hit an a XP to tie the SB if the situation had called for it. That's where my faith in him is after this past season and his miss in Denver.

He needs to get it together next season or I'd be ready to start looking elsewhere. A kicker paid as highly as he is can't be missing multiple XP's, let alone putting us in a hole in the AFCCG and Super Bowl.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

had to go through and "agree" with a bunch of posts it looks like the homer crowd didn't agree with

Remember guys, it's not ok to question a patriots player ever

That said, I don't think it's time to move on, but it's time there was some competition for the spot. The SB started so poorly I began celebrating everything. I flipped my chair over when we scored our first TD and was screaming "double digit points!!!" which up until then didn't look like a certainty. In the back of my mind I was thinking the whole time, I really hope he doesn't screw this up.

And then he did

Seriously: When Ghost made that first field goal, I screamed, "YES!!!!!!"

That was crucial. It broke the ice, we couldn't get out of our own way the whole half, and it erased the goose egg burning a hole in the scoreboard. It was obvious to the world at that point, that we needed every point we could get, likely for the rest of the game.

It may seem silly, but at that moment I really breathed a huge sigh of relief - and I consider that one clutch. Lot of pressure on us by then.

 

[DaBruinz]

I wouldn't have trusted Gostkowski to hit an a XP to tie the SB if the situation had called for it. That's where my faith in him is after this past season and his miss in Denver.

That's why you're on a message board and BB has 7 rings.. Because BB most certainly would have trusted Gost with an XP to tie it..

The people commenting negatively are showing that they clearly have no concept on what it takes to be a kicker and how the rule changes the past two years affected kickers.

Gost to wonders after the Bye this year and didn't miss an XP until the SB.. And people like you "don't trust him".

Did you even bother to look at Gost's history? Gost averages a bit more than 4 missed field goals per year with a HIGH of 6 and a low of 2.. So missing 5 in the norm for him. He's missed 4 XP since they moved the XP line back to the 15.. How many have other people missed?

Vinatieri - Missed 3 XP last year. He missed 2FGs in 2015/2016 and 4 in 2016/2017. Keep in mind that Vinatieri doesn't do kick-offs.

Nick Novak - 35/41 and missed 3 XP
Dustin Hopkins - 34/42 and missed 3 XP

NFL Stats: by Player Category


Only 2 Kickers attempted more extra point attempts than Gostkowski. Matt Bryant and Wil Lutz. They each only missed 1. Bryant doesn't do kick-offs. OH and he missed a game clinching FG in the SB against us..

Lutz also averages 3yards less per kick-off and 3 yards more per return than Gostkowski..

 

[thecore762]

Please put the cheap pot down because you're only making a fool of yourself. You are totally ignoring the fact that in each of the previous two off-seasons there have been major changes in the rules that have affected the kickers..

Prior to the 2015/2016 season, they moved kick-offs from the 30 to the 35 yard line as well as changing where XPs would be taken from, moving them from the 2 to the 15.

Then prior to the 2016/2017, they changed it so TBs would be at the 25 yard line instead of the 20. That's one of the main reasons why Gostkowski had fewer TBs. Because he was kicking them shorter with more hang time to give the coverage team a chance to make a play..

Do you understand what the difference between 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 was for Gost? 1 Missed kick. Do you know what the difference was between 2015/2016 and 2016/2017? 2 Missed Kicks.. So, a TOTAL of 3 missed kicks from 2014/2015 and 2016/2017.. That's NOT a huge drop-off.. That's normal fluctuation.. And let's totally over-look that 2014 was a CAREER year for Gostkowski for field goals.

Stephen Gostkowski

I don't care what he has done for us in the past, I care for what he is about to do going forward and so far he hasn't looked good.

 

[lurker1965]

Ghost has been solid for us for a long time but this last year he had a huge drop off in made field goals and the struggle with extra points, is it time to invest a late round pick on a kicker?

I'd say no, but anything 5th, 6th, or 7th round is possible.

 

[billikens]

Here's a question:

You're down 2 in the SB with 3 seconds left. You're at the 30, making it a 47-yd FG. Who do you want: SG or 40-something AV?

I'd much rather have Gostkowski over Vinatieri on kickoffs, although to be fair, Gostkowski committed a penalty on the muffed onside kick, making a bad situation even worse.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I'd much rather have Gostkowski over Vinatieri on kickoffs, although to be fair, Gostkowski committed a penalty on the muffed onside kick, making a bad situation even worse.

Fine, fine, whatever, I'll admit it.

Ghost was in the Men's room, and I put on his jersey. It was me who totally botched the onside kick. I thought, "how hard can it be?" I'd even practiced it a few times. When you get on that field in front of the whole world, everything's different.

Sorry. At least we still won anyway.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Zane Gonzalez of Arizona State. One scout told Daniel Jeremiah he gave Gonzalez the highest grade he's ever given a kicker and PFF say he's the best kicker they've seen in years.

He'll probably go in the 2nd or 3rd round, which is way too expensive for the Pats to consider him when they have a quality kicker in Ghost

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Here's a question:

You're down 2 in the SB with 3 seconds left. You're at the 30, making it a 47-yd FG. Who do you want: SG or 40-something AV?

AV...

Even in his 40s, he's nailing 50+ yard field goals with consistency

Wasn't AV perfect on 50+ yarders last year?

 

[meatface]

Ghost has been solid for us for a long time but this last year he had a huge drop off in made field goals and the struggle with extra points, is it time to invest a late round pick on a kicker?

Hes still better than most kickers

 

[old 55]

The yips.

 

[Tuck]

Hes still better than most kickers

That's what makes it tough to cut ties with him. He's above average in most all categories but he's far from automatic in big games. My guess is they would probably like to upgrade but won't because they could end up worse off.

 

[bormio]

The 2nd FG was very shaky in the SB. I am not ready to say goodbye but competition is often good.

 

[DaBruinz]

I don't care what he has done for us in the past, I care for what he is about to do going forward and so far he hasn't looked good.

And that's why you have no credibility..

 

[DaBruinz]

AV...

Even in his 40s, he's nailing 50+ yard field goals with consistency

Wasn't AV perfect on 50+ yarders last year?

That would mean using an extra roster spot on a kicker just for kick-offs or having your punter do them, which puts added stress on the Punter..

There were 3 punters other than Pat McAfee who handled kick-off duties on a regular basis. Matt Bosher of the Falcons, Bradley Pinion of the 49ers, and Sam Martin of Detroit. Bosher and Martin had more TBs than Gostkowski. All 3 of them had a higher TB % than Gostkowski. All 3 of them had more Yards per return than Gostkowski.

You and the OP seem to be over-looking that huge part of Gost's game. The part that most people look at and give him credit for in the SB. Pinning Atlanta deep late in the game.. That's something you wouldn't get with someone else..

 

[sportnik]

I think Ghost's missed the XP in the Superbowl is going to motivate the Pats to look at other options. If the Pats missed either 2 Pt conversion, this would have been the second straight season where a missed XP did them in. The top paid kicker in the league shouldn't be blowing-up seasons with missed XPs. I'd expect to see some competition here in the fall.

 

[Richard Camembert]

Nah. This guy seems to have his ball start right then draw back left, and he wasn't getting that trajectory reliably early on, but he worked it out. He'll be fine, and I'm not scared of him. Pats may have a lot of work to do in this draft based on the # of FA, so they need to maximize each pick. Ghost also has cold weather experience which most of the K in the draft don't seem to.

 

[thecore762]

And that's why you have no credibility..

You are butt hurt for discussing about bringing in competition to light a fire under Ghosts ass.

I wonder if you are Ghost Agent...

 

[TommyD4207]

There's no sense wasting a draft pick on what will amount to be camp fodder.

Bring in a UFA Kicker. Bring in two, who cares? Have a real competition. But waste a draft pick? This is like the people who want to trade up to draft Leonard Fournette.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

And that's why you have no credibility..

I didn't know @thecore762 worked for BSPN...