Mason Crosby » Packer Update

Packers Will Try Out Kicker

Posted by Michael Rodney at 7:10 am 3 Responses »

Mar 082013

Kicker Michael Barnard had an impressive tryout with the Eagles last May

According to Bob McGinn, the Packers will try out kicker Michael Barnard on Monday. The 27-year-old graduated from Division III Fairleigh Dickinson in 2008, but he hasn’t been able to land a job with an NFL team.

For the first time in years, GM Ted Thompson appears willing to bring a second kicker to camp. That makes sense considering incumbent Mason Crosby is coming off a historically bad season. The six-year veteran from Colorado made only 21 of 33 field goals. His percentage of 63.6 was the worst in the league.

Barnard didn’t put up impressive numbers in college (16 of 27), but he’s been toiling diligently at his craft for the past five years. And if his tryout last spring with the Eagles is any indication, all that hard work has paid off. According to Full Scale Sports, Barnard made 30 of 32 field goals on May 12, including two in a row from over 60 yards. Despite his excellent performance, Barnard wasn’t offered a contract. That came as no surprise since Philadelphia already has one of the best young kickers in the league in Alex Henery.

A native of New Jersey, Barnard has worked with a number of current and former NFL kickers since leaving college five years ago. That group includes Michael Husted, David Akers, Jay Feely and Phil Dawson.

“Michael has worked very hard over the last two years to position himself for the pros,” said Husted, who spent six full seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 90s. “He is kicking very well right now.”

While the odds are very much against him, it’s important to remember that 9 of the 10 most accurate kickers in NFL history were cut at least once before finding success. So this is the one position where a 27-year-old rookie from Fairleigh Dickinson has a chance. Here’s hoping Barnard makes the most of his opportunity.

Thompson Needs To Keep Cutting

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:02 am 18 Responses »

Mar 032013

Veteran A.J. Hawk is a two-down linebacker being paid like a star

Linebacker A.J. Hawk is one of a number of overpaid players on the Green Bay roster

By releasing defensive back Charles Woodson, general manager Ted Thompson cleared about $10 million of much-needed cap space. So far, that’s the only bloated salary removed from the payroll. There needs to be more. A.J. Hawk, Ryan Pickett, Mason Crosby and Jermichael Finley will count $25.6 million against the cap in 2013. That comes out to a whopping 20.8 percent of the total cap number.

Think about that for a moment. The Packers would be spending one-fifth of their entire cap on a two-down inside linebacker who hasn’t forced a fumble since the George W. Bush administration, a 33-year-old defensive lineman who averages only 35 snaps per game, a placekicker who finished dead last in accuracy last season and a tight end who averaged 3.8 receptions per game playing with the best quarterback in the league. I’m no expert, but I’m guessing there are better ways to spend $25.6 million.

Of those four players, the only one I’d want back even at a reduced number is Pickett. There’s still a lot of value in what he does on the field – just not $6.7 million worth of value. Bring him back if he’s willing to play for about half that number. If he isn’t, so be it. A quality front office should be able to procure a comparable player for a lot less money between now and the start of the season. In fact, next month’s draft is filled with defensive tackles who can dig in against double teams and clog the run.

Hawk has become something of a dinosaur. The NFL is now filled with athletic 3-4 inside linebackers who move around like safeties. Crosby’s career percentage of 76.8 is among the worst of any kicker with at least 100 field goal attempts. And Finley has said he won’t take a pay cut. Assuming he’s a man of his word, he should soon be a man of the street. There’s no way to justify paying him $8.75 million. He’s a below-average blocker who hasn’t been able to run away from defenders since the ’09 season.

Wanna know where big money would be better spent, at least for a year? On Greg Jennings. People forget just how good he was prior to injuring his knee in November of 2011. It wasn’t so long ago that he was among the top half-dozen receivers in the league. Can he be that great again? Who knows, but there’s a better chance of that happening than there is of Hawk causing a fumble, Pickett sacking a QB, Crosby hitting a game-winner from 48 yards or Finley knocking a defender on his ass at the point of attack.

Packers Should Boot Crosby

Posted by Michael Rodney at 7:00 am 7 Responses »

Jan 312013

Veteran kicker Mason Crosby missed a career-high 12 field goals this season

I was among Mason Crosby’s biggest defenders during his first four solid but unspectacular seasons, but after watching him Tom Birney the ball all over the place in 2012, I’ve had enough. It’s time for a change.

I thought Crosby finally jumped from above-average to elite in 2011. The former Colorado star hit 24 of 28 kicks – by far the highest percentage (85.7) of his career. And then this season happened. Crosby missed a whopping 12 field goals. To best put into words just how awful that is, the other three kickers in the NFC North (Robbie Gould, Jason Hanson and rookie Blair Walsh) missed a combined 11 field goals.

I could also mention Crosby’s salary for 2013 ($3.15 million against the cap). Right now, he’s the 13th highest-paid player on the team. But this isn’t about money; it’s about production. After 6 seasons in the league, the 28-year-old’s career numbers just aren’t good enough. He’s hitting only 76.8% of his field goals. That number would’ve been acceptable 20 years ago, but today it’s about six percentage points below the NFL average. So I ask you, why would a team not only keep such a player, but pay him big money?

Could Crosby find greatness with another team? It wouldn’t surprise me. Nine of the NFL’s 10 most accurate kickers of all time were cut by at least one team prior to finding their niche (Nate Kaeding is the exception). Heck, Mike Vanderjagt was dumped by three CFL teams. But so what? He’s had six seasons to find greatness in Green Bay, and he hasn’t come close. Kind of like many of his kicks this season.

Coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson really like Crosby, so I expect him to still be the team’s kicker in 2013. He might face some competition for the first time in a while, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem. The guy kicks like Adam Viniateri in August. The problems usually arise a few months later. In the late 14th century, William Langland said that patience is a virtue. I completely agree, but then again, old Mr. Langland never watched a kicker misfire 12 times in one season.

Packers Could Cut Pricey Veterans

Posted by Michael Rodney at 2:33 pm 3 Responses »

Dec 222012

Charles Woodson's great career in Green Bay could be coming to an end

Defensive back Charles Woodson’s great career in Green Bay might be coming to an end

The Green Bay Packers will be spending a lot of money in the next 15 months. A lot. That’s because the organization will need to extend the contracts of two of the best players in the National Football League (Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews) – not to mention re-sign a bunch of other key contributors (i.e. B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, Brad Jones, James “TD” Jones, Sam Shields and Morgan Burnett).

Considering that the salary cap isn’t expected to go up very much in the next couple of years, it’s fair to question where the Packers will find the money to keep all of these good players. Fortunately, there is an answer. By cutting the cord to a group of talented but very replaceable veterans, general manager Ted Thompson should be able to extend or re-sign the vast majority of the nine players mentioned above.

Here are the veteran players I’d be willing to sacrifice in the coming offseason. The first number in the parentheses is their scheduled base salary for 2013 and the second number is their projected cap hit for 2013):

JEFF SATURDAY ($1.35M/$3.75M): Even before the veteran center was benched on Friday, he had no chance of returning for a second season in Green Bay. Thompson probably expected the former All-Pro to play better, but he wasn’t a disaster. His shotgun snaps were flawless and he held up OK in pass protection. Unfortunately, his lack of size and athletic ability made him a major liability in the run game.

CHARLES WOODSON ($6.5M/$10M): I opined in March that the Packers should release the veteran defensive back, so I obviously feel the same way today. At 36, the future Hall of Famer is no longer able to cover quick receivers without holding them and he’s lost the explosiveness that once made him a feared blitzer. Now what the defense is getting for $6.5 million is a great leader who can bait a young QB into a mistake from time to time. To be honest, I’m not overly thrilled about Woodson returning this season.

JERMICHAEL FINLEY ($4.45M/$8.75M): There isn’t a suitable replacement on the current roster, but there are a number of good tight ends available in the upcoming draft. And besides, the Packers won a Super Bowl with Andrew Quarless starting at the position. While Finley is playing better as of late, the comparisons to Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates ended a long time ago. Nowadays, a more suitable comparison would be to Martellus Bennett of the Giants – a nice player who’s being paid $2.5M this season.

A.J. HAWK ($4.9M/$7.05M): The former Ohio State star has bounced back from arguably the worst season of his career, but that doesn’t mean he’s worth over $5 million. For that type of money, you would expect a starting inside linebacker to make some impact plays. Unfortunately, Hawk doesn’t do impact plays – never has and never will. He is, however, extremely durable and fairly consistent. And while those are two admirable traits, they simply aren’t worth the type of money he’s set to make in 2013.

MASON CROSBY ($2.4M/$3.15M): Based on how the Packers have stood behind the slumping kicker, I’m almost expecting them to give him a raise for 2013. After all, he must have pictures of coach Mike McCarthy, right? Seriously, Crosby needs to get the boot. Even before this nightmarish campaign, his career field goal percentage of 79.3 was 3 points below the league average for the past five years. And be honest, when was the last time you felt confident watching Crosby line up to attempt a kick in a big spot?

JOHN KUHN ($1.8M/$2.6M): In this case, the money’s probably not the biggest issue. I just think it’s time for the Packers to upgrade at the fullback position. Kuhn, who will turn 31 next summer, is clearly wearing down. That’s obvious both on offense and on special teams. By finding the right replacement, Green Bay can get better, younger and cheaper all at the same time. It’s the trifecta every GM dreams about.

DESMOND BISHOP ($3.5M/$5M): While I don’t expect the hard-hitting linebacker to be released, I’m including him on this list for four reasons – his age, his salary, his health and his backups. Bishop is pushing 30, he’s set to earn over $4 million (including bonuses), he’s coming off a serious hamstring injury and he was adequately replaced by D.J. Smith and then by Brad Jones. Again, I fully expect the former Cal star to be back next season. I’m just saying that he could be sacrificed if money got really tight.

Notes: Dorsey In Line To Be Next GM

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:24 am 7 Responses »

May 262012

Longtime director of college scouting was promoted last week

Longtime director of college scouting received a promotion

John Dorsey was promoted to director of football operations earlier this week. His next promotion should be to general manager. You’ll hear the names Russ Ball, Eliot Wolf, Reggie McKenzie and John Schneider mentioned as possible successors to Ted Thompson, but nobody is more qualified for the top job than Dorsey. The 51-year-old played linebacker for the Packers from 1984 to 1988 and has spent 20 of the past 21 years working in the team’s front office. He has built a strong reputation as a talent evaluator. He’s also been very loyal to the organization. Since returning from a one-year stint with Seattle in 1999, Dorsey has turned down at least three opportunities to interview for GM openings with other teams. If he wants to be Thompson’s eventual successor, the job should be his. He’s earned it and he’d be great at it.

Based on their recent performances, newly signed defensive linemen Daniel Muir and Phillip Merling may not even make the final 53-man roster. The former was released by the worst team in football last season and the latter has recorded a grand total of 7 tackles and 0 sacks in the past 15 games. That said, I like both moves. There’s absolutely no downside to bringing in young veterans. At best, Muir and Merling will blossom under assistant coach Mike Trgovac’s tutelage. At worst, they’ll push young players like C.J. Wilson, Mike Neal and Jarius Wynn to get better. Plus, it’s costing the Packers absolutely nothing. Both players signed one-year contracts that included no guaranteed money.

No player will be more intriguing to watch this season than Sam Shields. After taking the league by storm as a rookie in 2010, the former college wide receiver regressed last season. How far did he fall? Far enough that Jarrett Bush replaced him on early downs in the divisional playoff game against the Giants. Not only was Shields timid (that’s putting it nicely) in run support, but he struggled to defend receivers he should’ve been able to cover in his sleep. He gave up 9 passes of 20 yards or more and 4.5 touchdowns. Most of his problems were due to sloppy technique and a propensity to peek into the backfield. The good news is that those two things are easily correctable. The Packers still have faith in Shields, but unlike last season, they figure to have a legitimate option to replace him in 2012. Second-round draft pick Casey Hayward of Vanderbilt has the intelligence and the instincts to play right away.

Second-year center Sampson Genus received quite a bit of publicity during the rookie orientation camp held earlier this month. The former South Florida star is one of three young players expected to battle for the backup center job. There’s a lot to like about Genus, but he has two things working against him – he’s small (6’0) and slow (5.58). For comparison’s sake, the average center in the NFL stands 6’3 and the top 10 center prospects in April’s draft averaged a 5.28 40. (Heck, NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen ran a 6.1 in a suit and dress shoes). The guess here is that journeyman Evan Dietrich-Smith will spend at least one more season as the backup center. As for Genus, he’ll likely have to beat out undrafted rookie Tommie Draheim of San Diego State for a spot on the practice squad.

Outside linebacker Nick Perry should’ve been born two years earlier. The first-round pick (No. 28 overall) from USC agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $7.5 million a few weeks ago. The deal included a $4 million signing bonus. Not bad money – until you compare it to what the 28th pick in the 2010 draft received. Jared Odrick signed a five-year contract worth $13.1 million with the Dolphins ($7.2 million bonus). Here are the numbers for the other 7 draft choices: defensive end Jerel Worthy (4 years/$3.9M/$1.3SB); Casey Hayward (4/$3.3M/$847K); defensive end Mike Daniels (4/$2.4M/$300K); safety Jerron McMillian (4/$2.4M/$300K); linebacker Terrell Manning (4/$2.3M/$171K); offensive tackle Andrew Datko (4/$2.14M/$46K) and quarterback B.J. Coleman (4/$2.14M/$46K).

Mason Crosby, Tim Masthay and Brett Goode might be the best young trio in the NFL. Crosby, 27, is coming off his finest season. The former Colorado star hit 24 of 28 field goals and finished third in the league with 49 touchbacks. Masthay, 25, set team records for gross (45.6 yards) and net punting average (38.6) in 2011. Goode, 27, hasn’t had more than a handful of bad snaps since joining the Packers four years ago. The fact that many loyal fans don’t know his name is a testament to just how good he’s been. Crosby signed a long-term deal last summer. Look for Masthay and Goode – both underpaid at $540K and $676K respectively – to be extended within the next six months.

CROSBY SHOULD RE-SIGN QUICKLY

Posted by Michael Rodney at 1:08 pm 6 Responses »

Jul 252011

Veteran kicker has been treated very well by the Packers

Placekicker has been treated extremely well by the Packers

It will take a blockbuster offer from the Packers to keep defensive end Cullen Jenkins, guard Daryn Colledge and wide receiver James Jones from testing the free agent waters. Because so many franchises are flush with salary cap space and will be forced by the new collective bargaining agreement to fill it up, there’s simply no telling how much money three talented players from a Super Bowl winning team can earn on the open market.

That same market, however, doesn’t figure to be quite so kind to Mason Crosby. Very few teams are in need of a kicker and there’s really not a whole lot of wiggle room when it comes to what players at that position are paid, so it’s probably in Crosby’s best interest to get a deal done with Green Bay as soon as possible. Should he decide to explore free agency, there’s a pretty good chance he could find minimal interest in his services. There’s also a very good chance general manager Ted Thompson could choose to go in a different direction.

The one thing that could tempt Crosby to at least test the market would be the opportunity to ply his trade in better working conditions. No kicker has played in the elements more often than the former Colorado star since 2007. And as we all know, playing in the elements in Wisconsin is hardly the same as playing in the elements almost anyplace else. But even that probably won’t get him to walk away. He enjoys living in Green Bay and he’s been treated great by the organization – especially coach Mike McCarthy. In the end, that should mean more than chasing a pot of gold that may or may not be sitting at the end of the rainbow.

LOOKING AHEAD TO FREE AGENCY

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:14 am 5 Responses »

Jul 082011

Jones should be a very popular free agent

With the players and the owners finally making progress, information on what a new collective bargaining agreement may look like is starting to emerge. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported recently that the minimum number of years for unrestricted free agency will move from six back to four. That means the following Packers could hit the open market in a matter of weeks: safety Atari Bigby, offensive lineman Daryn Colledge, kicker Mason Crosby, fullback Korey Hall, running back Brandon Jackson, defensive end Cullen Jenkins, wide receiver James Jones, fullback John Kuhn, safety Anthony Smith, offensive lineman Jason Spitz and inside linebacker Matt Wilhelm.

Here’s the way I see things playing out:

Crosby, Jackson, Kuhn and Smith might flirt with other teams, but the odds are pretty good that each will eventually re-sign with Green Bay. Of the five, Crosby is the only one whom general manager Ted Thompson can’t afford to lose. And he won’t. Jackson will look to find a better opportunity elsewhere, but he probably has a lot more value to the Packers than he does to any other team. The former second-round pick would’ve been better off hitting the free agent market a year ago – before Ryan Grant’s injury fully exposed his many limitations as a runner. Kuhn loves it in Green Bay and won’t be eager to leave. Besides, he attracted little interest as a free agent in the past. Smith probably won’t make the final roster, but he’s worth bringing to camp.

Colledge, Jenkins and Jones will most likely sign elsewhere. Colledge has always thought very highly of himself, and now we’ll get to see if others agree. The guess here is that some GM will overpay the veteran guard based on his youth and his durability. Jenkins came into the league as an undrafted free agent and then signed a relatively modest extension (4 years/$15.5M) in 2008, so he’ll be looking to strike it rich this time. The Packers would like to keep him, but that hardly seems possible. Jones caught 61 passes and scored 7 TDs last season, but it’s the key drops that everyone remembers. Will that scare away potential bidders? Probably, but my hunch is that at least one GM will throw surprisingly big money at the enigmatic 26-year-old and then keep his fingers crossed and hope for the best.

The lockout allowed Bigby, Hall, Spitz and Wilhelm to remain part of a championship team for a little bit longer than expected, but the separation will commence as soon as there’s a new CBA. Bigby has lived off a few good games late in the ’07 season for the past three years. He could really use a fresh start. Hall is a solid special teams player, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and the Packers are deep at fullback. Spitz hasn’t been the same player since injuring his back and undergoing surgery in November 2009. He was a rising star at one time, but he’s been eclipsed by T.J. Lang and Nick McDonald in recent years. Wilhelm was a stopgap signing last October who no longer possesses the physical skills to be effective in a 3-4.

Lost amid all the news surrounding the progress being made between the owners and the players was a little nugget of info courtesy of ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. He told a radio station in St. Louis that, once the free agency period begins, the owners want to have a right of first refusal on three or four players per team. Whether the players agree to such a demand remains to be seen. The other big question, at least to anyone reading this post, is how would a right of first refusal affect the Packers? The answer is not very much.

Other than Chad Clifton, I can’t recall a single significant player re-signing with Green Bay after hitting the open market. That’s because Thompson is adept at identifying and then extending the players he really wants to keep long before they become free agents. In my opinion, he would’ve at least spoken to the representatives for Colledge, Jenkins and Jones if he truly wanted to bring them back. The fact that he didn’t suggests he’s ready to move on. And so does the drafting of Derek Sherrod, Mike Neal and Randall Cobb.