Packers have a kicking problem

[Fritz]

Gute was asked that very question, and he said they DID try to sign him but didn't get him or some others they had interest in. He said he thought college kickers thought there were better opportunities than the Packers who had a guy they drafted just a year ago. When asked about several other kickers including Bates from the UFL, who were available, he said that, given choices or options, a lot of kickers do not want to come to Green Bay and kick outdoors.

To get a good kicker, they have to draft one (Marcol, Jacke, Crosby) or get lucky on a waiver claim (Longwell. hopefully Narveson). Among true free agents, they are stuck looking at kickers who have few options available to them.

Then their agents must've thought Carlson was somehow going to have a great camp because it was clear the Packers were going to challenge Carlson with some competition.

I hope Bates is one of those guys who don't want to kick outdoors, so when the Loins come to Lambeau he can turn into a shrivel while Tough-as-Nards Narveson bangs home the game winner in the icy, windswept conditions.

Thanks for clarifying, Patler.

[KYPack]

Gute was asked that very question, and he said they DID try to sign him but didn't get him or some others they had interest in. He said he thought college kickers thought there were better opportunities than the Packers who had a guy they drafted just a year ago. When asked about several other kickers including Bates from the UFL, who were available, he said that, given choices or options, a lot of kickers do not want to come to Green Bay and kick outdoors.

To get a good kicker, they have to draft one (Marcol, Jacke, Crosby) or get lucky on a waiver claim (Longwell. hopefully Narveson). Among true free agents, they are stuck looking at kickers who have few options available to them.

You got it friend P

Kickers want a shot at an indoor and/or a southern team. FG's are a totally different equation with cold and the elements.

Nards jumped at this job bc it was a chance to kick in the NFL. Also he has been exposed to getting cut in the NFL. That changes the viewpoint of the guy chasing the gig. You takes what you can get.

Carlson's undoing lies partially in his strength, that big leg. It serves him well on the long ones, but he has to harness it on intermediate or short tries. The kick that got him cut was that 32 yard FG. He blew his plant and it caused a push to the right. Carlson was one of the worst kickers in the league on XP's. PAT's are from 33 yards, so his miss was a double whammy for the kid.

[Patler]

Then their agents must've thought Carlson was somehow going to have a great camp because it was clear the Packers were going to challenge Carlson with some competition.

I hope Bates is one of those guys who don't want to kick outdoors, so when the Loins come to Lambeau he can turn into a shrivel while Tough-as-Nards Narveson bangs home the game winner in the icy, windswept conditions.

Thanks for clarifying, Patler.

I can see an undrafted rookie wondering if GB might show preference to a guy they used a draft pick on over someone in whom they have no investment. Then, throw in the outdoor weather and northern climate factors, and they sign elsewhere.

[Patler]

Nards jumped at this job bc it was a chance to kick in the NFL. Also he has been exposed to getting cut in the NFL. That changes the viewpoint of the guy chasing the gig. You takes what you can get.

Nards couldn't jump at the chance even if he wanted to. He was a waiver claim, I think; and didn't have any choice but to go to GB. Just like Longwell, who often complained about having to kick in GB while others who got postseason honors kicked under better conditions.

Carlson's undoing lies partially in his strength, that big leg. It serves him well on the long ones, but he has to harness it on intermediate or short tries. The kick that got him cut was that 32 yard FG. He blew his plant and it caused a push to the right. Carlson was one of the worst kickers in the league on XP's. PAT's are from 33 yards, so his miss was a double whammy for the kid.

Just looking at FGs overall, Carlson really wasn't that bad for a rookie last year (although being just 4 of 8 between 40 and 50 yards isn't good). But continually missing XPs is kind of demoralizing for the team, and especially the offense. It dilutes good offensive performances. From that aspect, I agree his last miss was the clincher to his release.

[texaspackerbacker]

Just looking at Carlson, he didn't seem to have very good form. He didn't look smooth at all. I haven't seen Narveson kick at all. Hopefully. his form will be good enough to give him consistency.

[Vincenzo]

If MLF alters his play calling because he has Brayden Nervous-son as his kicker instead of Joseph, he is an idiot. Coaches constantly preach to their players to just do their own jobs in the way that they should and expect that the other players will be doing their own jobs, too. It's the same for coaches. He constantly preaches that expectations do not change because of players lost to injuries. Well, now it is time for him to prove he means it. When it comes to kicking, if your kicker is a specialist and not some random player filling in for an emergency, within his leg strength range, he should be expected to make the kick (not that he always will).

There is no reason to expect Nervous-son to be any worse than Carlson, Joseph or many others.

“Before rookie kicker Brayden Narveson arrived at team headquarters last week, LaFleur called the situation 'uncharted territory' and acknowledged that having a new, untested kicker could "absolutely, 100 percent" impact some in-game decisions.“

Ok, Coach Lafleur is more at ease now after seeing Nardes kick:

“But after Narveson was nearly perfect in his first two kicking sessions in front of the team, LaFleur sounded more comfortable with his new kicker. 'Yeah, I've seen enough to be confident in him,' LaFleur said Sunday. 'If that's what you're asking: Do I have confidence in him? Absolutely.'"

[KYPack]

“Before rookie kicker Brayden Narveson arrived at team headquarters last week, LaFleur called the situation 'uncharted territory' and acknowledged that having a new, untested kicker could "absolutely, 100 percent" impact some in-game decisions.“

Ok, Coach Lafleur is more at ease now after seeing Nardes kick:

“But after Narveson was nearly perfect in his first two kicking sessions in front of the team, LaFleur sounded more comfortable with his new kicker. 'Yeah, I've seen enough to be confident in him,' LaFleur said Sunday. 'If that's what you're asking: Do I have confidence in him? Absolutely.'"

Have faith Vincenzo!

Brayden has more going for him than we first realized. He has Kentucky roots, kicked for WKY in Bowling Green for 3 years. Plus he's married to a Wisconsin girl. He's got a lopsided short haircut and a goofy grin. Looks like the kind of guy that would gather around a firepit in the driveway and drink long-necked beers with the boys.

I never warmed to Carlson, he looked and acted dorky.

[Fritz]

Okay, a couple of things:

First, Patler, as I read a free article in the JSO, the claim there is that the Titans were the only team that offered Narveson a roster spot, so he signed with them. It said the Packers already had three kickers, two of them with experience. So the Packers, had they really liked Nards, probably could have signed him. But in the end, who knows, I suppose.

More importantly, I love this guy's mindset. Check out this quote from Nards after his practice in Green Bay:

“A lot of the first kicks were into the wind,” Narveson said. “You know, 48 into the wind, 56 into the wind. Tough kicks to make that I expect to make fully. But at the same time, coming into a new spot, not getting any reps with the holder and snapper and going into a scrimmage-like setting in Lambeau, I think it’s going to prepare me.”

He expects to make 'em, and he thinks the challenges he's faced will prepare him. Ya gotta love that. None of this pussy-footin' Cold Carlson crap.

I am glad The Flower is getting on the Nards train.

[King Friday]

Interesting insight into Lafleur. Didn’t quite have him pegged as a partial dickhead but you’ve got me thinking that there’s something there..

The vast majority of great NFL coaches are huge assholes. The fact that MLF is only a snarky dick is a +1.

[run pMc]

Narveson had an uphill battle beating Nick Folk in TEN, but there was always the chance that age would catch up to Folk. It hasn't - yet. If I'm a kicker, I'd rather go someplace warmer, or indoors, and not where the team already has 2-3 kickers to compete against. You just won't get a lot of chances to kick or show your ability when there are 3 others getting snaps. Even if it's unlikely you can unseat the incumbent K, you'll get preseason looks for other team scouts if you're the only other option.

I will also be holding my breath on kicks until he establishes consistency. Kicking in Lambeau is no easy task, but if he can make all his XP and everything from 47 in that's an upgrade from Carlson or Joseph. 50+ would be nice and his leg is good enough; question is how accurate he can be at that distance.

[Fritz]

Narveson had an uphill battle beating Nick Folk in TEN, but there was always the chance that age would catch up to Folk. It hasn't - yet. If I'm a kicker, I'd rather go someplace warmer, or indoors, and not where the team already has 2-3 kickers to compete against. You just won't get a lot of chances to kick or show your ability when there are 3 others getting snaps. Even if it's unlikely you can unseat the incumbent K, you'll get preseason looks for other team scouts if you're the only other option.

I will also be holding my breath on kicks until he establishes consistency. Kicking in Lambeau is no easy task, but if he can make all his XP and everything from 47 in that's an upgrade from Carlson or Joseph. 50+ would be nice and his leg is good enough; question is how accurate he can be at that distance.

Good point there, run.

This kid is good. He's going to be good. Of course he won't make every kick, but I predict he will be fully entrenched as THE Packers kicker by the time we get through the season, and we're going to be happy with him.

I do have one area of concern: he does need to work on where he puts his adverbs in his sentences. Check this out: "[Those are] tough kicks to make that I expect to make fully."

Uh, Nards, I think you mean you fully expect to make those tough kicks, not to make them fully. You don't have to make them fully, as long as they go between the uprights and over the goal post. Despite our hand-wringing over Cold Carlson's forty-yarders clanging through off the uprights, you don't have to make every kick right down the middle. You just have to squeeze them inside the uprights and over the goal post. You do that consistently, and hit those XP's, we're good. Now get back inside the Hudson Center and study up on your Strunk and White!

[Patler]

Okay, a couple of things:

First, Patler, as I read a free article in the JSO, the claim there is that the Titans were the only team that offered Narveson a roster spot, so he signed with them. It said the Packers already had three kickers, two of them with experience. So the Packers, had they really liked Nards, probably could have signed him. But in the end, who knows, I suppose.

From Daugherty's published interview with Gute:

(Daugherty) "Why didn’t you sign Naverson immediately after the draft?"

(Gute) "We tried to, we weren’t able to. Basically that’s what it came down to. Obviously we’d drafted a kicker the year before and we’d signed Greg. So I think some of the college kickers coming out that had opportunities to sign places looked at that as not the best situation for them. I think that was part of it."

[Fritz]

Guter, you lying piece of doo doo!

OR

JSO, you lying piece of doo doo!

OR

The truth is often complicated.

[Patler]

so we signed a rookie kicker who's career college numbers are worse then what carlson did last year

not sure about the upgrade

he did have a nice preseason and even had a game winner

To add some perspective:

Narveson's 2023 didn't look great at 18 of 23, that's true. I just read that 3 of his 5 misses were from more than 50 yards.

[Patler]

Guter, you lying piece of doo doo!

OR

JSO, you lying piece of doo doo!

OR

The truth is often complicated.

Ya, could be something as simple as that they wanted him to come to the tryout they ran right after the draft before offering the contract, instead of signing him immediately. They usually sign a few from that tryout camp, and did again this year.