I Want Lechler in Green and Gold

[Pugger]

I think he made the offer fully knowing it would be declined...just so Thompson had something to point to and say "look, I tried"

Right. He didnt really want him so he tried to make him the second highest paid kicker in the league.

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Leaper, I think you are being silly. Why would TT make an offer to Vinatieri if he didn't want him? If Adam said yes then TT would've had to pay him. I know you have no love loss for TT but your argument in this case makes you sound foolish.

[Farley Face]

I would really like this move.

I read somewhere a good punter can give a team an extra 40 or so yards a game in field position. I think in some ways a good, consistent punter is even more valuable to a cold weather team. You need that big leg to drive your kicks through the swirling winds and turn over a slick, cold ball. When you rely on a guy that shanks every 5th punt or so it seems even more magnified when the elements are crappy.

A punter only has so much impact, I get that. But I wouldn't complain if we decided it was worth while to pay a top contract at the position to get this guy.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Lechler is the best in the league. Would be a great pick up and a really underrated move.

[MJZiggy]

I would really like this move.

I read somewhere a good punter can give a team an extra 40 or so yards a game in field position. I think in some ways a good, consistent punter is even more valuable to a cold weather team. You need that big leg to drive your kicks through the swirling winds and turn over a slick, cold ball. When you rely on a guy that shanks every 5th punt or so it seems even more magnified when the elements are crappy.

A punter only has so much impact, I get that. But I wouldn't complain if we decided it was worth while to pay a top contract at the position to get this guy.

I think you guys are underestimating Kapinos.

[Farley Face]

I would really like this move.

I read somewhere a good punter can give a team an extra 40 or so yards a game in field position. I think in some ways a good, consistent punter is even more valuable to a cold weather team. You need that big leg to drive your kicks through the swirling winds and turn over a slick, cold ball. When you rely on a guy that shanks every 5th punt or so it seems even more magnified when the elements are crappy.

A punter only has so much impact, I get that. But I wouldn't complain if we decided it was worth while to pay a top contract at the position to get this guy.

I think you guys are underestimating Kapinos.

I just want a proven commodity.

[KYPack]

Lechler is in the elite group.

Zig is right, Kapinos looks pretty good, but with our cap space I'd make a run at Shane Lechler. He consistently kicks for distance to the cover. He can directional punt as well as place the ball. He's experienced and really works at his craft. I think it would help our punt crew to have a leader back there belting good kicks.

Goddamn, that Mike Scifres had a game for the ages Saturday, didn't he? He won that game for SD.

I really think Frost helped get us beat in at least a couple games last season.

[Fritz]

I have trumpeted for some time the idea that punters get short shrift in a coach's and GM's thinking. These guys actually are responsible for moving the ball down the field - it's such a direct impact, anywhere from one or two to five or six times a game.

If football really is a game of field position, why do so many GM's and coaches ignore the position that is directly responsible for the other team's field position maybe two to six times a game?

I would like to see the Pack take a shot at Lechler, though I like Kapinos for the simple reason that if he screws up, "Krapinos" is too easy to pass up when discussing the punting next year.

And don't forget Brooks. He beat out Kapinos last year and has a year of seasoning.

[KYPack]

Coaches give punting the short shrift because it's an "intangible". A good punt requires a great kick and those are subject to more chance than coaches can endure.

I looked up last years punting statistics and found some interesting stuff.

-Shane Lechler was the NFL's leading punter, leading the league in many punting categories. He had one of the best seasons a punter has ever had. He was still almost 3 yards per punt short of Sammy Baugh's all-time record for yards per kick over a season.

-GB had two punters on the NFL punting rankings, 'cause we had 2 punters. Derrick Frost finshed 25th, while Jeremy Kapinos ended up 26th in the NFL rankings.

- Our old (and should still be our) punter, Craig Hentrich, finished 8th and had his usual solid year for Tennesee.

- Jon Ryan, who was foolishly run out of town by ex-spec teams coach Mike Stock, finished a solid 6th in the league punting rankings.

- Mike Scifres was the 31st ranked punter in the regular season and was assumed to be a candidate for replacement. Then he had that masterful punting performance last week against Indy and he's being mentioned for Canton.

[vince]

I'm no Kapinos apologist, but he was the better punter over Frost for sure. And I would argue that he isn't nearly as bad at helping the team win as his average punt stats reflect.

His average punt statistic was pulled down by his high ranking of punts downed inside the 20 yd. line. Rather than kicking the ball through the endzone and maximizing average, he was successful at givign the team better field position, even though it took yards away from his punting stats.

He ranked #3 in the league in percentage of punts downed inside the 20 yd. line (41.2%) and was #7 in the league in lowest percentage of touchbacks (5.9%).

Conversely, Frost was just plain bad in all categories. Not only was Frost's average punt horrible, but he ranked just as low in placing the ball inside the 20. Only 16.7% of his punts were downed inside the 20, which ranked him 35th in the league among punters. And 10.4% of his punts were touchbacks, which also reflects his inability to pin opponents deep. That ranked 22nd best in the league.

And Jon Ryan continued to demonstrate his big leg - and his inability to help his team win the field position battle. His Downed Inside the 20 Pct. was 28.2% - 26th in the league. Also reflecting Ryan's lack of punting touch and inability to maximize team field position was the fact that 15.4% of Ryan's punts were touchbacks, which ranked him 34th in that category.

[Patler]

And Jon Ryan continued to demonstrate his big leg - and his inability to help his team win the field position battle. His Downed Inside the 20 Pct. was 28.2% - 26th in the league. Also reflecting Ryan's lack of punting touch and inability to maximize team field position was the fact that 15.4% of Ryan's punts were touchbacks, which ranked him 34th in that category.

Ryan also had a low number of fair catches for the number of punts, just 8, ranking him #25. Frost had 7 with 30 fewer punts. Ranked below Ryan were mostly guys with even fewer punts than Frost. Only Donnie Jones and Dave Zastudil had more punts than Frost and fewer fair catches than Ryan.

Ryan might be still learning. If he ever puts it together he could be quite good. Right now he remains a punter who kicks it a long way, with little or no touch, and with insufficient height to minimize returns. He puts pressure on his coverage team.