Player Signing Koepplin? Koppen? Koepplin? Signing the K's today.

[Urgent]

Pats signed free agent Kicker Chris Koepplin after signing Dan Koppen.

Source: Pats agree with kicker Koepplin - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[Urgent]

Scott Kooistra, free agent OT, are your ears tingling?

 

[Ron Sellers]

Gostkowski's kickoffs tend to go noticeably shorter as the season wears on. Some of that is obviously due to the colder and windier weather, but to me it makes sense to save as much leg as possible for the real season. Let Koepplin handle the bulk of special teams practice kickoffs as well as much of the kicking in preseason games. Plus, if Gostkowski happens to get injured the Pats will already know whether or not this is the guy they want to fill in at a moment's notice, like they did with Shayne Graham in 2010.

 

[DaBruinz]

Gostkowski's kickoffs tend to go noticeably shorter as the season wears on. Some of that is obviously due to the colder and windier weather, but to me it makes sense to save as much leg as possible for the real season. Let Koepplin handle the bulk of special teams practice kickoffs as well as much of the kicking in preseason games. Plus, if Gostkowski happens to get injured the Pats will already know whether or not this is the guy they want to fill in at a moment's notice, like they did with Shayne Graham in 2010.

If only the game logs actually supported the theory that Gost's kick-offs tend to go noticeably shorter as the season wears on.

http://www.nfl.com/player/stephengostkowski/2506922/gamelogs

That being said, they always bring in at least one kicker to share the duties during pre-season.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

If only the game logs actually supported the theory that Gost's kick-offs tend to go noticeably shorter as the season wears on.

Stephen Gostkowski: Game Logs at NFL.com

That being said, they always bring in at least one kicker to share the duties during pre-season.

That's not actually true: from the day that the Pats released Gramática to the day they signed Graham as an injury replacement, Gostkowski was the only kicker on the Pats roster.

 

[Ron Sellers]

If only the game logs actually supported the theory that Gost's kick-offs tend to go noticeably shorter as the season wears on.

Stephen Gostkowski: Game Logs at NFL.com

That being said, they always bring in at least one kicker to share the duties during pre-season.

I stand corrected - for the 2011 season.
I must have formed my opinion from previous seasons without considering 2011.

2010: injury-shortened season, but 13 touchbacks in the first 6 games; 2 in the final 3 games.

2009: 18 touchbacks in the first 10 games; 3 in the final 8 games.

2008: 9 touchbacks in the first 4 games; 8 in the final 12 games.

2007: 14 touchbacks in the first 9 games; 2 in the final 10 games.
Also in pre-season 9 of 19 kickoffs are touchbacks.

2006: 9 touchbacks in the first 7 games; 3 in the final 9 games.


2011 bucked the trend, but over his entire career his kickoffs seem to have gone a bit shorter as the season wore on. Perhaps with the 5-yard change it is a moot point now. Regardless I do like the idea of bringing in another kicker for training camp.

 

[WhiZa]

It would not surprise me if this was a mistake and they just misspelled Koppen on the paper work to the league office.

 

[MP-Logick]

It would not surprise me if this was a mistake and they just misspelled Koppen on the paper work to the league office.

Koepplin already said he was grateful for the opportunity.

 

[TyronePoole]

I stand corrected - for the 2011 season.
I must have formed my opinion from previous seasons without considering 2011.

2010: injury-shortened season, but 13 touchbacks in the first 6 games; 2 in the final 3 games.

2009: 18 touchbacks in the first 10 games; 3 in the final 8 games.

2008: 9 touchbacks in the first 4 games; 8 in the final 12 games.

2007: 14 touchbacks in the first 9 games; 2 in the final 10 games.
Also in pre-season 9 of 19 kickoffs are touchbacks.

2006: 9 touchbacks in the first 7 games; 3 in the final 9 games.


2011 bucked the trend, but over his entire career his kickoffs seem to have gone a bit shorter as the season wore on. Perhaps with the 5-yard change it is a moot point now. Regardless I do like the idea of bringing in another kicker for training camp.

this seems very cherry-picky in terms of the stats and barometer for distance you are using.

You also seem to be assuming that his kicking leg gets tired as the season goes on, I don't really see evidence for that at all, a handful of kicks a week isn't exactly taxing.