One thing I forgot about with respect to the game vs. the Bucs was that Carpenter competed with Barth for the kicking job in preseason. Barth brought his 'A' game, but we won in the end.

He showed in camp that he has an accurate leg, but showed also the same weakness that Carpenter has - short kickoffs.

Rick

Let me ask a simple question that I am sure one of you football experts has an answer or two for.

Why do we have separate personnel for Punts & Field Goals/Kick Offs?

My seventeen year old son plays keeper for his local soccer club. He can punt the ball 50+ yards either in a lob or a line drive using a drop kick. He can also goal kick (kick off) from the 20 and send it 60 yards. If a seventeen year old can be proficient at his age why can't a seasoned professional be trained to do both?

Go Phins!

They can be and they usually are...Punters are usually the backup kicker for most teams.

It just helps the quality of the players when you are allowed to specailize. It also gives teams depth at the positions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2009 09:17AM by Ken.

DVDon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let me ask a simple question that I am sure one of
> you football experts has an answer or two for.
>
> Why do we have separate personnel for Punts &
> Field Goals/Kick Offs?
>
> My seventeen year old son plays keeper for his
> local soccer club. He can punt the ball 50+ yards
> either in a lob or a line drive using a drop kick.
> He can also goal kick (kick off) from the 20 and
> send it 60 yards. If a seventeen year old can be
> proficient at his age why can't a seasoned
> professional be trained to do both?
>
> Go Phins!


1979 NFL Draft. New Orleans Saints used the #11 overall pick in Rd 1 on a K/P. Russell Erxleben out of Texas. Guy was the real deal. He could kick long field goals like they were nothing and punt the ball to the moon and out of the stadium. Coming out of college some considered him the greatest kicker who ever lived!!!!!!

They drafted him, held a press conference and at the press conference let him put on a kicking exhibition (remember this is 1979 now). He hurt himself at the press conference (only would happen to the Saints)and was never the same player. He played 10 years but mostly as a punte. Only a year or two as a kicker also, cause after the exhibition/press conference injury he was never the same.

So the Saints used the #11 overall pick on a combo-kicker who did it all and got burned. That's why teams don't use combo-kickers anymore let alone draft kickers in any of the 7 rounds let alone the 1st round.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2009 11:12AM by MikeO.

The Raider still used a 1st round pick on Janikowski.

The Raiders....lol, so true. The Jets used a 2nd I Nuggent too.

They can; however, the level of proficiency to do either at the NFL level is quite high.

I have coached High School for 20 years. IN that time I had 1 kid who could kick the ball through the endzone on a kick-off from the 45. ( he could easily hit the Goal line from the 35. His Field Goals were off target, and his punts were ok.

I had 1 kid who kicked a 40 yard FG in a CFL stadium and he was swarmed by scouts after the game. Canadian University scouts. His Kick-offs went high in the air, lost velocity and came down near the 20. He couldn't punt at all.

I just had a kid who could kick a 40 yard FG, and could send a kick-off to the endzone from the 45 yd line. He was also our best WR. At 17...he could eventually become a pro kicker...with college level coaching...but he wants to go to Europe and be a pro-Soccer player ( much higher pay than an NFL kicker ..if he makes it). That is 1 player in 20 years who could do both well.