Kliff sticking with Zane

[Buckybird]

I’m shocked they haven’t plucked Matt McCrane of the Browns PS

actually it was a smart idea that most of the NFL did. everyone was concerned what happens if our kicker gets Covid, so they signed another kicker to the practice squad. We picked Nugent. He's had multiple knee surgeries in his career and last kicked last year before the PATS cut him. There was speculation when cut that his knee had issues and at then 37, now 38 nobody was willing to wait for him to heal.

So either the Cards don't think he's got his leg back yet, or they've seen nothing that suggests he'll be better than Zane. But he's there primarily due to Covid. A couple of us have brought that up before with this discussion, this year there are less kickers available because of Covid.

But, you CAN claim a kicker off someone else's practice squad still, unless they changed that rule for Covid?

 

[Jetstream Green]

actually it was a smart idea that most of the NFL did. everyone was concerned what happens if our kicker gets Covid, so they signed another kicker to the practice squad. We picked Nugent. He's had multiple knee surgeries in his career and last kicked last year before the PATS cut him. There was speculation when cut that his knee had issues and at then 37, now 38 nobody was willing to wait for him to heal.

So either the Cards don't think he's got his leg back yet, or they've seen nothing that suggests he'll be better than Zane. But he's there primarily due to Covid. A couple of us have brought that up before with this discussion, this year there are less kickers available because of Covid.

But, you CAN claim a kicker off someone else's practice squad still, unless they changed that rule for Covid?

But it makes no sense occupying our roster with a kicker as an emergency option if his injury does not make him an option, see what I am getting at... yeah, I would then pluck a guy from a practice squad because everyone's practice squad is ours too if we make him a starter

 

[TK421]

Actually makes alot of sense that a terrible coach is sticking with his terrible kicker.

 

[Stout]

But it makes no sense occupying our roster with a kicker as an emergency option if his injury does not make him an option, see what I am getting at... yeah, I would then pluck a guy from a practice squad because everyone's practice squad is ours too if we make him a starter

Seriously!

He literally has to coach around Zane.

Except he HASN'T coached around him. He's puckered and gone conservative all the time to play FOR the FG!

 

[Russ Smith]

But it makes no sense occupying our roster with a kicker as an emergency option if his injury does not make him an option, see what I am getting at... yeah, I would then pluck a guy from a practice squad because everyone's practice squad is ours too if we make him a starter

Agreed but we don't know if he's healthy or not. People are assuming he's not because they haven't cut Zane, but it may well be Kliff doesn't think a healthy Nugent is any better. Last year he was 5-8 in NE before he got waived, and his kickoffs were so short they needed someone else to kickoff.

 

[cardpa]

Well I'm glad we cleared that up and stop all these silly ideas of getting rid of Zane. Zane, Zane, he's our man, if he can't do it nobody can!

Seriously, Gonzalez is going nowhere, it's the Cardinal front office way. How many times have we seen this before with a player?

 

[TheCardFan]

Here are your FA kickers this offseason (sorted by current FG%):

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[BigRedRage]

Seriously!



Except he HASN'T coached around him. He's puckered and gone conservative all the time to play FOR the FG!

We are 15th in the league in 4th down attempts, I thought we would be higher but I feel like we do go for it more often because of lack of confidence in the kicker.

 

[TaylorSwift]

Makes me wonder if this is a mini tank.

Kiem realized the Cards hit their limits personnel wise and now is engaging in the act of self sabotage in order to get a 10-15 pick in the draft.

Puts them in the position to get premium offensive playmaker like Devonta or Kyle Pitts.

Hopefully he is relieved of his services before then.

 

[HGC]

Makes me wonder if this is a mini tank.

Kiem realized the Cards hit their limits personnel wise and now is engaging in the act of self sabotage in order to get a 10-15 pick in the draft.

Puts them in the position to get premium offensive playmaker like Devonta or Kyle Pitts.

Hopefully he is relieved of his services before then.

This team is not intentionally losing football games.

 

[Bkbobo]

Even if they are going to keep Zane, I believe you should bring in a few kickers to let him know it is a what have you done for me lately league. Competition builds character.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

There are 23 kickers in the league with 20 or more FG attemps on the season. Only 3 kickers have a worse FG % than Zane. Of the 19 kickers ahead of him 11 have FG% of 90% or better, 5 have between 80%-88.9%, and 3 between 76%-79.9%.

40 players in the NFL have attempted at least 1 FG this season and Zane's FG% ranks him 34/40 kickers. In all fairness, 6 of those kickers have fewer than 5 attempts. If you strip those kickers out Zane is ranked 30/34.

Any way you slice it, he is VERY replaceable.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

This doesn’t even factor in that he is also near the bottom of the league in touchback % on kickoffs.

His touchback % of 51.35% in home games is lower than his 54.22% in road games.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Seriously!



Except he HASN'T coached around him. He's puckered and gone conservative all the time to play FOR the FG!

thats the even more frustrating thing about Zane. He should KNOW he’s not going to hit a long-ish FG down the stretch when it matters and Coach Stiff STILL lays up at the end of games/halfs.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

On FG attempts between 40-49 yards there are 24 kickers in the NFL with 80% or better conversion rate. Zane is 60%

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Oddly enough he is hitting 66% of 50+ which puts him at about league average.

 

[Russ Smith]

My thing is unless he has some unknown injury it's not physical, its totally in his head. That is always a concern with kickers. Some of them get past it but many do NOT.

 

[Russ Smith]

Oddly enough he is hitting 66% of 50+ which puts him at about league average.

I think he's one of those guys who has trouble kicking it straight and on the longer kicks he allows for that better? the one he missed Sunday was wide right, he's missed both directions, and short, but it seems like his natural kick is rarely just bang center it's often just inside right or left like the ball moves. Great for kickoffs, harder to judge, not great for FG's and extra points.

I also read yesterday on the kick Matt Gay missed, the center screwed up and snapped it early so Gay's timing was thrown off and he hit the left upright and missed. I thought it was interesting it seemed like people were not blaming him after the kick presumably because they knew the ball was snapped early

With Zane it almost seems like people are afraid to talk to him now, they pat him on the helmet but they're afraid to say anything because they know it's in his head already

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think he's one of those guys who has trouble kicking it straight and on the longer kicks he allows for that better? the one he missed Sunday was wide right, he's missed both directions, and short, but it seems like his natural kick is rarely just bang center it's often just inside right or left like the ball moves.

Call me crazy, but A kicker who has a problem kicking straight should be the first and LAST red flag needed to know that he sucks.

the really f’ed up thing is that he does normally kick from the hashes instead of the middle and the kicks normally still hug the upright. It’s rare you ever seen Zane just nail a kick right down the middle.

 

[Chopper0080]

Oddly enough he is hitting 66% of 50+ which puts him at about league average.

Yeah, it is the 40-49 range that he is horrendous right now.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

How in the world is Gonzalez making over $3mill/year??? Holy crap, that is a bad contract. I usually defend Keim, but how did he do that?

 

[cardncubfan]

Until he’s not then you really can’t expect him to say otherwise.

That's correct. Why make the kid even more nervous. You want to say positive things to give him confidence even if it isn't true.

 

[cardncubfan]

Here are your FA kickers this offseason (sorted by current FG%):

You must be registered for see images attach

I would love to get Koo in the off season. He's money.

 

[cardncubfan]

I think he's one of those guys who has trouble kicking it straight and on the longer kicks he allows for that better? the one he missed Sunday was wide right, he's missed both directions, and short, but it seems like his natural kick is rarely just bang center it's often just inside right or left like the ball moves. Great for kickoffs, harder to judge, not great for FG's and extra points.

I also read yesterday on the kick Matt Gay missed, the center screwed up and snapped it early so Gay's timing was thrown off and he hit the left upright and missed. I thought it was interesting it seemed like people were not blaming him after the kick presumably because they knew the ball was snapped early

With Zane it almost seems like people are afraid to talk to him now, they pat him on the helmet but they're afraid to say anything because they know it's in his head already

I think he needs to kick them all as hard as he kicks the 50+ ones. For some reason the stronger the leg the straighter he kicks them. Maybe backing off on the strength some he loses accuracy. Sort of like how some people play pool. If they shoot the cue ball hard it is accurate but if they try a touch shot they miss badly. Just a thought.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Zane is the 15th highest paid kicker in the NFL.