Feely Agrees to Terms with Zona
It looks like Jay Feely will be joining Kerry and Ben in Arizona after coming to terms with the Cardinals.
Manish Mehta of the Newark Star-Ledger reports unrestricted free agent kicker Jay Feely has agreed to terms on deal with the Arizona Cardinals, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of either side. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
With Feely’s departure the Jets can go off and sign a UFA now but at the same time they are left with Nick Folk who hasn’t been able to show up since his 2007 Pro Bowl season. Hopefully in the end though everything will work out. Good luck in the desert Jay!
Hat tip to Electric Ham and J-Kay for passing this along!
129 Responses to Feely Agrees to Terms with Zona
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Electric Ham says:
Too bad tho I liked feely, not big on Folk but i definately dont want to waste another draft pick on a place kicker when we have a limited amount of picks to begin with
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CWPOST1993 says:
Feely .. you will be missed but not at the cost you demanded. I loved his fire on Special Team ..
Raiders blew when they signed their Kicker to a crazy contract. They are insane.
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cabras says:
We actually need a new punter, and a kicker. Folk may be as good as he was a few years back, but we need to bring in some competition for camp.
BTW- CWPOST, who cares what the cost was, losing a game because of kicking is invaluable (ie D Brien).
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Will says:
No big loss, he’s good from the shorter distace kicks, but he really doesn’t have a long boot, and he kinda sucks on kickoffs. They always seem to go short with not along of hang time.
Hope to god that folk isn’t the kicker, would like to see us get a decent undrafted rookie (you just don’t wast a pick on a kicker) and see what he can do.
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Haha thats alright weeks i was just kidding around
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starz31 says:
More importantly, are we looking at any UFAs? Are there any solid options still available?
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jets4Life says:
does that mean that we can sign sharper now?
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jets4life,
The Jets could sign Sharper but there would be some restrictions regarding his contract I believe. Bent or Jason would have more information.
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Clintbeastwood says:
Who is Ben?
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i wouldn’t mind if they used a later round pick on a kicker or punter. points and field position…..points and field position….bent, what free agents can we go after now that feely is gone? and do you think they will? sharper?
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JustAGreenGuy says:
Ben Graham
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Rudibager says:
We won’t know what free agents we can pick up until after the contract is disclosed.
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Pdubbs says:
Did we let him go so we can sign another guy ? I really don’t want to have a horrible kicker next year.
Feely was pretty accurate….we might get screwed without him.
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Dylan says:
Here are some of the UFAs that the Jets could look into signing:
Darren Sharper
Derrick Burgess
Damione Lewis
Greg Ellis
Terrell Owens
Josh Reed
Tory Holt -
Rollercoaster says:
I’ll miss Feely, especially the double-duty he pulled during the playoffs when weatherford was out.
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GP says:
I’m OK with Folk. I’m always nervous when our kicker lines up for a big kick, regardless of the name on the back of his jersey. At least with Folk, we can attempt a 54-yarder here and there.
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reality jet fan says:
folk is awful check his numbers last year.
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Bent says: The cap number in the first year of whoever the Jets sign must not exceed the first year cap number in Feely’s contract. That’s why I said I hope it was frontloaded.
Also, the salary cannot increase by more than 30% each year so you can’t just backload the deal.
However, I don’t think this takes them out of the running for a guy like Sharper, because they can negotiate a longer term deal with a signing bonus but a low cap number and then simply agree to renegotiate after a year of two.
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Jack says:
This one surprises me. I thought Feely was a Rex guy and he was overall a very solid kicker. With the type of ground and pound game we play an accurate kicker is key.
GP-
Feely had as many kicks beyond 50 as Folk last year, 1, and he was one of the least accurate kickers in the league on a dome team.
I must be missing something here.
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BrowningNagle says:
I sure hope they have the internets in arizona so feely can keep tweeting. I love knowing exactly what he’s up to and how he’s feeling…
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Bent says:
Folk was poor last year, but he’s only 25 and was terrific in 2007 and 2008. It could be a good move.
Maybe it has more to do with money (saving over a million compared to what Feely wanted) or the ability to sign a UFA.
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JEFFDOLFINI says:
This makes no sense to me either, Feely was darn good all year. He was better than Nugent and Brien, he was probably the best kicker we have had in 10 years.
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BigKatFan says:
might as well get T.O. now
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Bent-
You must be right, it’s about cost savings and roster flexibility.
I mean this isn’t a question about whether a running back or receiver will play better in a different scheme. This is a field goal kicker. Kick ball. It doesn’t get any more basic than that.
But then, I didn’t get letting Graham go either. Hope this works out better.
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Wolf says:
No big loss here.
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firstdown77 says:
Feely was actually pretty good and was a Rex Ryan type of guy. I wish we kept him around.
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RevisNButthead says:
I don’t see why people are saying this makes no sense. He wanted way too much money. Also, him signing with another team gives us the option to sign a UFA at what he signed for. Sometimes you can’t be so loyal to some players. Especially if you don’t know the entire story. I still don’t see why everyone is in such an uproar over the TJ/LT situation as well.
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Jets = Misery says:
What the heck? Why are we cutting corners now when we were at the doorstep of a Super Bowl last year? If Folk turns out to be what we think he is, then Tanny will get lambasted for this move.
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david harris says:
You guys are all worked up because of Jay Feely?
1 thing is clear about Feely’s play with the Jets. They were simply riding his wave until it was over. He had a great streak but then he reverted back to his former self as the year came to a close. I actually think this is a great move. I’ll miss Jay, he was a good player, and he played with passion, but he probably will not be able to perform at how we were used to him performing over the last 2 seasons. Think back to 3 seasons ago, i think Feely’s first season here, or just think back to Feely’s first season with the Jets whenever that was. He frustrated fans to the point where he was almost let go altogethor. I feel like he’s about to do that again. As i said the Jets were only riding his wave of success and now that its over they did not feel he was worth the risk. Not to say Folk is, but he’s a hell of a lot cheaper and allowing to let Feely go will allow them to go after another free agent that will benefit the team more.
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You know what, Jack, I definitely didn’t give Feely credit he deserved in that department.
And with regard to Folk, he had a shaky year last year, but in his rookie year and even his 2nd year in the league, he showed a ridonculously strong leg. On his 50+ yard attempts, make or miss, there was plenty of room to spare. I’m just saying he’s got a huge leg. It’ll really show on kickoffs too.
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Harvlis says:
This is bad news. Folk was a head case, last season. He does not have a long leg. I think he had three touchbacks in three years. And, wasn’t that in a dome? Tanny better wake up and work on our special teams.
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Haha I’m just gonna shut my big yapper. I just looked on NFL.com and Feely gets more TBs than Folk did. Not to mention, the Cowboys may have even pulled Folk from kickoff duties last season. Why the hell did I think Folk had such a strong leg?
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JetMetVet says:
Feely, you will be missed ! Another guy that played his heart out for us. Watching him do kickoffs, field goals, punts, and tackle like a safety last year was awesome.
However, understanding the strategy here, I guess this may allow us to fill a higher priority position with another UFA. I think we’ll keep our eyes open for another kicker to pop up here somewhere.
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Merc20 says:
Feely was ok and yes he stepped in in a pinch to punt but be honest, if he shanked those punts would you be holding up his punting ability as a plus? He’s an above average kicker and wanted to be paid pretty well. His departure gives the jets flexibility which I am all for.
I heard a rumor when he wasn’t tendered that the team didn’t like a kicker that talked as much as he did. Maybe that’s why they let him go? That may not sound right knowing some of the mouths that run in the locker room, but you never know.
I’ll miss his tackling ability though, I give him props for that. Most kickers look like little girls out there trying to make a tackle.
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Tos9987 says:
This isnt a good move especialy since we have a hard time finding the endzone . We cant be missing kicks
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War Machine says:
im not one to miss alot of free agents ( TJ, KR) But this is a mistake that will come back and bite us in the @$$. Feely wasnt great in kickoffs. YEA I UNDERSTAND. But he was automatic allllll year long from 45 and under. YEA HE BUCKLED UNDER PREASURE IN THE PLAYOFFS. I understand but he also punted for us when Weatherford went out. CAN FOLK PULL THAT OFF??? I dont remember Feely missing hardly any kicks during the season. So lets count off on the kicks that Folk will miss this year (1…2…)
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SIGN RACKERS!!!!!
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WOJF says:
Not exactly loving this offseason, hope there is a big picture somewhere that I am missing.
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patpat says:
I dont think Sharper waited this long to sign with a team for nothing. I feel like theres something here that hasnt been made public. Maybe with Feely now signing with a team, we can get Sharper after all. How we would do it I dont know, but we got Tannenbaum…
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whomgives a crap about feely? i am worried about the replacement
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JesusRevis says:
Sign Sharper NOW
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MEL31602 says:
http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/12165/feely-blocks-jets-lowball-offer-joins-cards
Here’s a good story from Tim Graham, who talked to Feely personally. Apparently he loves the Jets locker room and organization but the team wanted him to take a paycut. I don’t trust Folk but if we went out and signed Rackers I would be fine with that. We do need to address this soon though or it could come back to bite us
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Wow the Jets offered Feely a 300k contract!? Thats insulting… Feely deserves more respect than that.
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Dylan- it wasn’t 300k, it was 300k less than he made this year. I would guess that’s somewhere in the 1-2 million range
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MEL31602,
Haha woops my bad. Thats very different…
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Randy says:
If by letting Feely go, allows us to potentially sign someone else like a Darren Sharper….Im all for it!!
You gotta remember, we have one of the best Special Teams coach in the NFL and we invested in a 25 year Old Kicker who made the ProBowl before.You don’t go from being a Pro Bowl kicker for 2 years and totally fade away.Folk has more upside that Feely does.
Kickers are a dime a dozen and they change teams all the time.
If I were the GM, I would sign Mike Nugent and give him a shot to compete for a job and also sign an undrafted Kicker to compete as well.The better Kicker will emerge prior to opening night and chances are it will be Nick Folk.
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Green Lantern (Dez and Mays's Agent) says:
Sharper Is Recovering From Surgery Right Now. I think thats why he hasn’t signed yet.
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Well scratch my rumor from my earlier post. Apparently they don’t mind the chatty kicker :)
Seems like this uncapped year only the bears are really doing anything crazy. Probably because they lost all their good draft picks getting cutler.
Who would have thunk all these teams can control themselves from spending crazy.
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X says:
Whoooo Hooo Bring Back NUgent!!!
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You guys are forgetting he missed kicks down the stretch that could have easily cost us. Atlanta is the first game that comes to mind (though I believe 1 was a botched snap) and he wasn’t much better in the Indy game.
I love Feely and think he’s one of few kickers who likes to get involved on special teams, but if the asking price was too high it wasn’t worth his decreasing production. Like some on this thread have been saying, we can now sign a UFA after we find out the contract details.
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O'Brien says:
Bummer we will miss Jay. A great team guy. Thanks and GOOD LUCK bud !
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broward says:
nick folk is what feely was when we signed him…. a kicker nobody wanted….feely was cut by the dolphins then signed by the chiefs and cut a day later
in 2008 feely was 19th in the nfl in accuracy 86%
in 2009 feely was 19th in the nfl in accuracy 83%2008 nick folk was 7th in the nfl in accuracy 91%
2009 nick folk was 36th in the nfl in accuracy 63%keep in mind nick folk had a hip injury that he was dealing with in 2009 thats why he didnt kickoff last year……i like this move….
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JayM says:
This is interesting in many ways, with the relationship between Rex and Tanny. I know it’s only a kicker but I wonder how far this will go with other players Rex will want to keep. (probably looking to deep at this)
Feely said Jets coach Rex Ryan called him several times since the season ended, most recently over the weekend.
“I know that he wanted me on that team,” Feely said. “Whether they believe in Nick Folk that strongly or have a certain dollar amount allotted to that position, I don’t know. But the guys that make the decisions financially made the call. I understand that. I accept that. I’ll move on.
“I don’t take it personally even though I’m disappointed.”
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Deven says:
this is such a mistake to let feely walk. Nick Folk is so unrealiable. You can always count on Jay. and he tackles on special teams, This to me is a major downgarde. He missed a few kicks in the AFC title and we write him off? Mistake!
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Ben Nevis says:
Here’s Tim Graham at ESPN’s AFC East blog on Feely:
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Feely wanted to remain with the Jets. He said he could have rejoined the club three days ago if he wanted. But he couldn’t bring himself to accept the club’s proposal. Feely claimed the Jets offered him a one-year contract for $300,000 less than he made last season. . . .
Feely said Jets coach Rex Ryan called him several times since the season ended, most recently over the weekend.
“I know that he wanted me on that team,” Feely said. “Whether they believe in Nick Folk that strongly or have a certain dollar amount allotted to that position, I don’t know. But the guys that make the decisions financially made the call. I understand that. I accept that. I’ll move on.
“I don’t take it personally even though I’m disappointed.” . . .
Feely expressed regret over leaving the Jets’ locker room, which he described as borderline utopian.
“There’s no question that I love that organization,” Feely said. “It’s a great locker room. The guys on that team are tremendous to be around, a very open and welcoming locker room with a lot of young talent. The foundation is in place for them to be good for a long time.
“The relationship between the coaches and players is unique. It’s an ideal fit. The coaches have authority and demand the most, but have the respect of the players, who give their best out of mutual admiration.
“Nobody would want to leave that environment.”
Feely’s 122 points last year ranked third in Jets history for scoring among kickers. He set a club record with 24 straight field goals and tied a team record with a 55-yarder in Week 8.
Feely converted 30 of his 36 attempts, ranking 17th among regulars at 83.3 percent. He made 12 of 15 attempts from 40 yards and out.
“I got calls from every coach, from [special-teams coordinator] Mike Westhoff to [offensive coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer and Rex,” Feely said, “and all of them had awesome things to say.
“I can leave feeling good, knowing that I gave everything I had. I know they respect me as a player and a leader and a man.”
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And here’s the link to the Tim Graham piece:
http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/12165/feely-blocks-jets-lowball-offer-joins-cards
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And here’s Joe Caporoso at TOTJ on Feely and other recent moves made by the FO:
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Why are the Jets sending me into the weekend with a headache? The primary reason is that Jay Feely just signed with the Cardinals and it is being reported the Jets had a chance to match the offer and chose not to. Really? The front office and coaching staff is really satisfied going into the year with Nick Folk at kicker? I understand we saved a million dollars because Folk was signed basically for the veterans minimum but there was a reason the Jets were able to sign him for that…because he was awful last year.
I don’t understand how a team who is essentially built to play close football games and plays their home games in a stadium that is notoriously difficult to kick in could undervalue the kicker position so much. The Jets had a very good one in Jay Feely and made a poor decision to be cheap in this instance.
The Jets have developed a reputation as a high spending team yet they lowballed Leon Washington, which could eventually lead to a separation between the two. They went cheap at kicker. They have decided not to re-sign their reliable long snapper for the past decade, James Dearth. Why would you switch your long snapper? If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. They refuse to pay Marques Douglas who wouldn’t even cost that much money and was very productive last year. They went cheap at safety to replace Kerry Rhodes with a guy who is one head injury away from having his career be over.
I am [a] big Mike Tannenbaum fan and maybe these moves are all in preparation of long term deals for Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Braylon Edwards (if he has a good year in 2010) but as of right now the Jets are taking some key risks:
—They have damaged their relationship with Leon Washington, who has been a great player for them on the field and a great role model off the field. . . .
—They are going into the year with a kicker coming off a terrible season, with nobody to compete against him in training camp.
—Their depth in the secondary is questionable at best. . . . Brodney Pool is injury prone at safety and they only have in-house backups to compete with him for the starting spot.
—They are thin on the defensive line because of the decision not to bring back Marques Douglas. This could be remedied after the draft but as of now, Shaun Ellis and Mike DeVito are the starters with zero viable backups. . . . Where is the Advil?
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Here’s the link to the Joe Caporoso piece:
http://turnonthejets.com/2010/04/02/jets-send-us-into-weekend-with-headache/
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[quote] I don’t understand how a team who is essentially built to play close football games and plays their home games in a stadium that is notoriously difficult to kick in [/quote]
We don’t play in that stadium anymore ;-)
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And here’s Rich Cimini on Feely and other recent moves by the FO:
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The Jets did have a chance to make a counter offer. Feely’s agent, Glenn Schwartzman, told the Daily News he called GM Mike Tannenbaum two days ago to let him know they were close to an agreement with the Cards. Schwartzman spoke to Ari Nissam, the Jets’ director of football administration and “nothing had changed,” according to the agent.
Before signing Folk, the Jets did make Feely an offer, but it “wasn’t anything that made sense,” Schwartzman said. They maintained occasional dialogue, but it’s believed the Jets never came off their offer, probably no better than what he made last year. [According to Tim Grahan above, the offer from the Jets was $300,000 LESS than what Feely made last year.]
Financial terms on Feely’s new deal weren’t immediately available. He made $1.5 million last season and he understandably wanted a raise after making 30 of 36 FG attempts—although let’s not forget the two misses in the AFC Championship Game.
The Jets didn’t want to pay anywhere close to big money for a kicker. In fact, they got Folk, coming off a disastrous season in Dallas that resulted in a pink slip, for a one-year deal, barely above the veterans’ minimum ($545,000). The Jets better hope special teams guru Mike Westhoff can transform Folk into the kicker he was in 2008, when he made the Pro Bowl. Otherwise, the Folk-for-Feely swap could backfire in a big way.
The Jets, usually big spenders, seem to be in a penny-pinching mode, and don’t think for a second that it has gone unnoticed in the locker room. Consider:
The Jets took a step backward at running back, dumping well-respected RB Thomas Jones and signing the declining LaDainian Tomlinson—a savings of $3.3 million (only a $500,000 savings if you believe reports that the Jets refused to match the deal he signed with the Chiefs).
They traded S Kerry Rhodes ($5 million) and signed Brodney Pool ($1.3 million), which Tannenbaum said allowed them to sign other players. (To be fair, there were other issues involved in the Rhodes decision.) Why Tannenbaum would make a comment like that is weird. Remember, this is an uncapped year.
True, the Jets are restricted by the so-called Final Eight rule, but some players are wondering why the organization has become frugal when dealing with the older vets. Yes, they re-signed FB Tony Richardson and TE Ben Hartsock to modest deals, but they let Feely walk, and they’re willing to do the same with DE Marques Douglas and long snapper James Dearth.
Maybe they’re saving up their money to re-sign CB Darrelle Revis and C Nick Mangold, both of whom will command huge deals. LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson recently changed agents and is eyeing a new deal, sources said.
Or maybe it’s because they’re not generating as much stadium revenue (see PSLs) as expected.
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Here’s the link to the Cimini piece:
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/04/what-the-folk-feely-signs-with.html
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Merc20-
True, but we’re still a team centered around a strong D, and a strong rushing attack. Which often translates into close games. As well as often making field postion a huge factor (ie, we need a quality punter!).
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Sorry, but the link to the Joe Caporoso piece is “awaiting moderation.”
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After sifting through the various articles about Feely, this is what seems to have happened:
1. The FO offered Feely $300,000 LESS than what he made last season.
2. Feely missed two clutch field goals in the AFC Championship Game.
3. The FO went with a kicker (Folk) who hit 18 of 28 field goals last season over a kicker (Feely) who hit 30 of 36. That’s 64.3% for the kicker we took over 83.3% for the kicker we didn’t take.
4. Unless the FO has plans to draft a kicker, this is another inexplicable move, like not re-signing DE Marques Douglas, long snapper James Dearth, and TJ at the same money offered by KC.
5. This is a team built on a strong D and a strong rushing attack. Which often translates into close games, as well as making field position a huge factor. Which means that we desperately need a quality kicker. And we desperately need a quality punter.
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Ben Nevis,
Feely signed a big contract (2 years 4.8 mil). It makes sense that the Jets didn’t want to pay him that much money. Also, Folk was only terrible last year. Kickers go through bad streaks. Folk kicked 83.9% as a rookie and over 90% in 2008. He had a 5 or 6 game period where he was awful, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good kicker. If he plays to his capability, he is an upgrade over Feely. Plus this move allows for the Jets to sign an UFA.
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Folk actually made 82% of his kicks during the first 8 game last year. It was just his final six games in which he only made 4 of 11. Is it really fair to judge a guy who has been consistant his whole career on 11 kicks?
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Dylan-
Feely’s lowest percentage in the past three years is 83.3%.
Folk’s lowest percentage in the past three years is 64.3%.
Feely has had a percentage higher than 85% in FOUR of the past five seasons.
Folk has had a percentage higher than 85% ONLY ONCE in the past three seasons.
Feely’s percentage over the past three years is 86.7%.
Folk’s percentage over the past three years is 79%.
There’s no way that Folk is an upgrade over Feely.
Folk’s highest percentage in the past three years is
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Dylan-
As I think I suggested above, if you judge Folk based on what he’s done over his entire three-year career, his numbers are still way below those of Feely over the exact same time span.
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One more thing, Dylan-
You ask is it fair to judge a guy on making only 4 out of his last 11 kicks?
You better believe it is.
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Ben Nevis,
But he has only played 3 seasons, so one bad year (or in this case one stretch of games) is going to bring his total stats way down. Also, his career stats are BARELY below Feely’s. He is averaging 79% compared to 81% for Feely. Plus you have to take into account that he is much younger. Do you want to know what Feely’s percentages where for his first 3 seasons? 78.4%, 80%, and 70.4%.
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Dylan-
No, you’re comparing Folk’s percentage over THREE years to Feely’s percentage over NINE years.
A more accurate comparison would be to look at what the two have done over the same time span.
And over the past three years, Feely’s percentage is 86.7%.
Over the past three years, Folk’s percentage is 79%.
Also, Feely’s percentage has dipped below 85% ONLY ONCE in the past five years.
Folk’s percentage has dipped below 85% in TWO of the past three years.
Another thing to remember that isn’t on the stat sheet: Feely is a gamer. He’s one of the very, very few kickers in th entire league who can actually tackle, can actually make plays on kick-offs.
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Bent says:
So, Feely’s better. Is he $2m a year better?
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Bent-
According to what I’ve read, the FO offered Feely $300,000 less than what he made last season.
That’s just nuts.
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Bent says:
I’d rather my kicker waited on the halfway line as the last line of defense than ran off recklessly like Feely did three times against the Dolphins. He did make one great tackle…
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One more thing, Bent-
Game on the line: who do you want kicking for you, a player who averaged 83.3% last year, or a player who averaged 64.3% last year?
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Bent-
Give me a friggin break: you think Nick Folk is going to make tackles on kick-offs?
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Ben Nevis,
Yes, but having a kicker making plays down the field isn’t always a good thing. It actually lost us the second Miami game. If Feely had been playing back as a safety net, I doubt Ginn scores both of those TDs. I actually don’t want our kickers making plays down the field. There is no point in risking an injury. I would rather them just stay back and prevent TDs.
I also don’t think you can judge both players entirely on FG percentages over the last 3 years. There are other factors that need to be taken into account such as age, salaries, and potential.
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Bent,
I was typing so I didn’t see your comment but it seems like you already said the same thing.
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Dylan-
WTF. You can’t be serious. You think Nick Folk would have tackled anybody the ENTIRE SEASON?
And as for FG percentages, yes, that’s the measure of a kicker, Dylan. Period.
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Ben Nevis,
Yes I do think Folk or any other kicker could have prevented Ginn from scoring at least one of those TDs. At the very least he could have slowed Ginn down so another player could tackle him.
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Bent & Dylan-
Just checked Folk’s stats: he had ZERO solo tackles in 2009.
Feely has FOUR solo tackles in 2009.
Feely also had FOUR solo tackles in 2008, and FOUR solo tackles in 2007.
That’s TWELVE solo tackles in the past three years.
Folk has TWO solo tackles in the past three years.
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Bent says:
If Feely was offered $1.2m that’s pretty much fair value.
My point was about tackling was that Feely’s recklessness did more harm than good. Had he hung back, he could have pushed Ginn out of bounds at the halfway line twice. That wasn’t the only time that happened either.
Hey, Feely won me over last year and I don’t take the kicker position lightly, but it’s clear this move was about roster flexibility and finances for which the price is a slight downgrade.
To answer your question, I’d rather have the guy with the higher percentage, but then if I could spend a couple of million on a free agent to upgrade another position, maybe that would mean that the game wouldn’t go down to the wire!
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Ben Nevis,
But did those 4 tackles really make that much of a difference? Maybe the KR would have gained a couple extra yards if he didn’t make the tackle. But is it really worth making it easier for other teams to return kicks for TDs? I don’t think so.
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Bent-
This is a team built on a strong D, and a strong rushing attack.
Which means that games are often going to go down to the wire for us.
It’s just frigging nuts, then, to have our season riding on the foot of kicker who averaged less than 65% last year.
If the Jets draft a another kicker or trade for one, that’s fine.
But no sane man can look at Nick Folk and think that the Jets are in good shape at kicker going into 2010.
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Dylan-
This whole tackle argument is pure BS.
As I said above: the measure of kicker is his FG percentage. Period.
And at 64.3%, Folk was one of the worst kickers in the ENTIRE LEAGUE last year.
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Bent says:
Ben – so Feely made 4 tackles and makes one extra FG out of every 20.
The Jets obviously chose take the extra 2m a year and ability to sign a UFA over that. Is that such a terrible decision?
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dmazz says:
My “Knee-Jerk” reaction to this is that I’m very disappointed in the Jets letting him walk. To me, this was harder than letting TJ walk.
The Jets will obviously bring in another kicker to compete with Nick Folk as well as a punter to work out. In the end the Jets did what they felt was the right thing o do.
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Bent-
Please stop. I usually enjoy reading your posts. But you’re embarrassing yourself here.
The stats are irrefutable:
64.3% DOES NOT COMPARE to 83.3%. Period.
Nick Folk is a $hlit kicker (no pun intended).
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Ben Nevis,
You were the one who brought up Feely’s ability to make tackles.
I don’t think Folk IS an upgrade over Feely. I think that if he plays up to his potential he CAN be. I don’t think that is a huge stretch considering he made the Pro Bowl a couple years ago. You also have to take into account that losing Feely’s makes it so the Jets can sign an UFA. Would you rather have Feely than Folk and Sharper?
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sackexchange says:
eli manning came two my town this week and during a conversation with a friend said…the new giant stadium will not have the same wind tunnel and that the stadium will be higher and more level than the last and he felt that was the reason for Folk…..i cant verify any of these comments or if he said them at all but very interesting in it self
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Bent says:
Folk is only 25 and has shown an ability to kick at a comparable level to Feely.
Last year’s struggles were attributed to a hip injury, a glitch in his technique and “the yips”, all of which might hopefully be correctable.
If not, maybe they’ll bring in someone to compete with Folk who will outperform him and win the job. After all, they managed to find Feely off the street.
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Dylan-
Folk’s best year was 2007.
In that year, he averaged 90.9%.
That same year, Feely averaged 91.3%.
Feely’s stats are simply superior to those of Folk’s, even in Folk’s best year.
Which means that there is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that Folk is an upgrade over Feely.
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Ben Nevis
Again, I never said that Folk IS an upgrade over Feely. I said that I think he can be an upgrade over Feely. His first 3 years are much better than Feely’s, even with the 64% last year.
You are still ignoring the fact that this allows for the Jets to sign an UFA.
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Bent-
The FO better bring in another kicker, either via the draft or a trade.
Folk was so horrific last year, that’s why the Jets were able to sign him at just about the minimum wage.
Nick Folk is a joke . And he should be. Last year, he sucked. And no amount of excuses is going to change that fact.
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James in TN says:
How about scouting the ranks and drafting a kicker in the 7th round? Kickers are a dime a dozen.
Whoever suggested Nugent should rethink that.
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Dylan-
You keep talking about what CAN be, and when you do that, you remind me of all the starry-eyed posters at the Metsblog who keep saying that Ollie Perez CAN be a fifteen game winnner this year, that the starting rotation CAN put us in a position to contend.
Deal with the facts, man. Look at the history of the players you’re talking about. Folk’s stats last year are beyond pathetic. There is no reason whatsoever to think he’s going to outperform anyone in the league.
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Bent says:
Folk has kicked well in the past. Sure he had a terrible end to 2009, but there may be correctable reasons for that as mentioned. Thomas Jones also finished last year badly, but you gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Feely is better…just not an extra 2m a year better.
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Bent-
Sorry, but that is a bs comparison. TJ had the best season of his career last year, 1,400 yards, 14, TDs.
Folk had the worst season of his career, a 64.3 FG percentage.
There’s just no basis for comparison here.
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Bent says:
Folk started last year 14-17. Perfectly acceptable.
If he wins the Jets job, hopefully he can sustain that for the whole season, as he did in his first two seasons.
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Bent-
How you start the season doesn’t mean a thing if you finish the season hitting 4 out 11.
What is it that, 35%?
Look, I’m not saying that Feely is irreplaceable.
I’m saying you can’t replace him with Nick friggin Folk.
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Bent says:
Not if he kicks like he did at the end of last year, no. Hopefully, if that’s the guy they go with, he’ll play like he did in the rest of his career.
I don’t feel that strongly “pro-Folk”, my main point is simply that I can see why they let Feely go. Someone (maybe Folk, maybe not) will be able to fill the void for a fraction of the price and hopefully won’t be much more than a minor downgrade.
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Bent-
If the Jets had picked up anyone with a decent FG percentage, say, 85% or higher, then I wouldn’t be posting any comments on this thread.
And I’m glad to hear you say that you aren’t “pro-Folk.” Last year, the man was an absolute embarrassment.
But one place we may disagree: I don’t think there’s any room whatsoever for a “minor downgrade,” as you put it, at kicker.
If anything, we need an upgrade—both at kicker, AND at punter. These are two key positions for a team built the way our team is built.
As a team dependent upon a strong D and strong rushing attack, we need a solid kicker to tip the score in our favor in a close game.
We also need a solid punter to give us an edge in field position.
Right now, we have neither—neither a solid kicker nor a solid punter. And until we bring in such players, then this is serious cause for concern.
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Just a few things. It looks like Feely will give the Jets in the ballpark of 1.5-1.6 million to sign a free agent.
While I dont care for Folk the numbers are not that different. Feely’s three year percentages in the 30 and 40 categories are 77.7 and 78.9. Folk is 86.6 and 65.2. The outdoor numbers are Feely at 72.7 and 76.4 compared to 90.0 and 85.7 for Folk. Granted Feely has had tougher conditions these last two years than Folk, but its probably those numbers that the Jets look at closest when deciding about an extra 1 million for Feely over Folk.
I dont think losing Feely is a big deal, but handing the job to Folk is a mistake, IMO. They have to at least bring in another player or two to look at in camp.
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Eddie DiGio says:
Ben Nevis
Someone else is being brought in along with Folk, whether its a vet making too much money, a kid from the draft or undrafted free agent. Folk is going to have some competion, Id bet my life on it
You hate to lose a guy who hits for a high % like Feely does, but awhile ago I came to the realization that Feely going was the only way they were going to bring in a UFA.
I hear what you are saying, but kickers have gotten cut before bc they sucked, then went on to resurrect their careers. It is probably the easiest position to replace, guys just pop up out of nowhere to become good kickers and punters.
Feelys’ departure, sad as it is bc at least you know what you bargained for with him, is just one of the necessary evils
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Eddie DiGio-
My comments above were not a lament over the loss of Feely so much as an expression of outrage over the signing of Nick Folk to replace Feely.
Last year, Folk was an embarrassment.
Which is to say, I hope you’re right: that a quality kicker is going be picked up, either via the draft or a trade.
But until that happens, the shadow of Nick Folk hangs over this team like a shroud.
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Ben Nevis
You are right though,last year Folk was BAD. I mean just BAD…
But as BAD as he was, he was equally GOOD his first year…kid was the highest rated kicker in Madden (its a joke)
Just wait til after the draft because I think the Jets mindset is to bring in a young guy like Folk who has some ability, and a vet who just got cut loose and make them fight it out for the roster spot…
Remember kickers have no or little signing bonus money, and there are a ton of them out there, Folk may have a job now, but the second he starts missing 30 yd FGs, its sayonara
Wont know if this is a mistake still after the draft right before training camp. At that point, if Folk is the only kicker on the roster, I’d be a little ticked off as well..
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oleosmirf says:
name one team that won a superbowl in the last 10 years without a good kicker?
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Ben Nevis,
I understand that Feely has a better FG percentage. This was not about the Jets not liking Feely. It was about the Jets not wanting to pay Feely nearly 5 mil for 2 years.
I don’t understand your anger towards the Jets signing Folk though. If he doesn’t play well they can cut him. There was no risk signing him. If he isn’t kicking well in training camp/pre-season than he wont get the job. Kickers aren’t exactly difficult to find.
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And its nothing like the Mets fans going crazy over Ollie Perez. Ollie was never good. Folk was VERY good his first 2 seasons. Its not like Folk even needs to develop as a player. He just needs to regain his rookie/sophmore form. But like I said, if he doesn’t then he gets cut. No harm done.
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Dylan-
You write: Making excuses for Nick Folk is “nothing like the Mets fans going crazy over Ollie Perez. Ollie was never good.”
Sorry, but Olllie Perez did have ONE very good season, just like Nick Folk had ONE very good season. (In 2007, Ollie went 15-10, with a 3.56 ERA. In 2008, Folk had a 90.9 FG percentage.)
Also, Ollie had ONE very decent season, just like Folk had ONE very decent season. (In 2008, Ollie was 10-7, with a 4.22 ERA. In 2007, Folk had a 83.9 FG percentage.)
And last year, both Ollie and Folk had truly terrible seasons. (Ollie was 3-4, with a 6.82 ERA. And Folk had a 64.3 FG percentage.)
______________________________You also write: “I don’t understand your anger towards the Jets signing Folk though. . . If he isn’t kicking well in training camp/pre-season than he wont get the job. Kickers aren’t exactly difficult to find.”
Sorry, but I’ve seen too many kickers blow too many games over the years to believe that a quality kicker is not, as you put it, “exactly difficult to find.”
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olesmirf
Lawrence Tynes was not that good a kicker…he was mediocre.
In fact he missed 2 FGs in the NFC championship.Hey you dont like Nick Folk, the guy has given you plenty of reasons not to…
But Jay Feely was not Adam Vinatieri or Matt Stover in their primes…I dont care what his FG % was, I saw the guy blow kicks in big games when his team really needed him, and I saw him do it with 3 different teams.
The guy was solid this year for us but he sucked it up in the AFC title game and the Jets dont want to pay the guy all that money when he sucked in the biggest game of the year…and I dont blame them
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Eddie DiGio-
Think we agree on this.
I was arguing against the signing of Folk, that Folk is a downgrade from Feely, that last year Feely was absolutely better than Folk. Last year, Folk sucked.
But I was also arguing that we needed an upgrade at kicker, that we needed a kicker better than Feely, who can make the big kick when the season’s on the line in a Championship game.
And last year, Folk gave us no reason to believe that he can be that kicker, the kicker who makes that FG when the season is on the line.
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Say what you want about Folk but Ive seen the guy make kicks…I at least know that he CAN do it.
Until he starts missing kicks in a Jet uniform, Im not jumping off a bridge like the rest of you…
You people have seem to forgotten that the draft is coming up and training camp doesnt start til August. There is plenty of time and a lot of things can happen between here and now, like a veteran gets cut because some young kid wows the team in training camp or better yet, the Jets find some young kid who is money. Who heard about Garrett Hartley before this year? The kid was only the best kicker in the playoffs this season and the Saints dont win without him.
But if you think the Jets are going into the season with Folk if he is shanking kicks left and right, you need a Valium
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Eddie DiGio-
You write: “. . .if you think the Jets are going into the season with Folk if he is shanking kicks left and right, you need a Valium.”
I’m hoping you’re right, Eddie, I’m hoping we pick up a kicker via the draft or a trade who is, as you say, money.
But last year, I couldn’t believe that we were going into the 2009 season with Weatherford as our punter. And we did. And he was pretty awful.
This shouldn’t have been a surprise. Weatherford has had a 43.0 average his entire career. Last year, he had a 42.0 average.
And I still can’t believe that we’re going into 2010 with Weatherford as our punter.
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Ben
My thing with the Folk signing is that I just looked at it as signing a guy who could be had under the Final 8 restrictions, who was a guy with potential that could be brought in to fight it out for a spot. Remember, the Final 8 rules at the time only allowed us to sign players who were CUT, we needed to LOSE Feely before we could look to upgrade the position..and to be honest I liked signing Folk because Ive seen the guy make some big kicks but he needs to have a gun to his head right now, I dont mean literally, but he needs to be in a spot like he is right with the Jets, where he misses kicks in practice come August…ba bye…Oh you went 1 for 3 vs the Dolphins and we lost 21-20…ba bye. Thats how I feel at least, especially with kickers, put them under the big hot light and make em perform
And you can always upgrade any position, but elite clutch guys like Stover and Vinatieri in their primes are few and far between, you really have to look and do your homework to find them
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Eddie-
You write: “. . .elite clutch guys like Stover and Vinatieri in their primes are few and far between, you really have to look and do your homework to find them.”
I agree. What I’m saying is that for a team built the way we are—a strong D, a strong rushing attack, which means a good number of close games decide by a FG or two—finding that clutch, quality kicker should be a priority.
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Ben
The Valium post wasnt directed at you. Others at the top of page
Weatherford on this team still shocks me also…the only thing that keeps him here is that punters dont score points. Rex said also ” Just net us about 40 yards on a punt, and we will go down and cover it”. That led me to believe that he just wants a guy who isnt going to kick it off the side of his foot like I do when I try to punt a football…lol
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Ben
And you are right, but what Im saying is, one, they are very,very,very hard to find. Like closers in baseball, there is only one Mariano Rivera.
And two, before the Stovers of the world were the Stovers of the world, some coach somewhere had to take a chance on them as young kids, when the fans and beat writers were all calling them crazy for trusting that spot to such a young and unproven guy. Those guys didnt become money kickers until they were given the chance to…
Speaking of Stover, Im pretty sure he or Vinatieri will come available this August…I mean how will the Colts pay BOTH of them right???
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Ben Nevis
Im not telling you are wrong for feeling the way you do, just offering a different take on the situation or maybe trying to rationalize the Jets way of thinking in another light…
I would never disrespect the GodFather of the the Jets Blog…you were watching this team when I wasnt even a twinkle in my pops eye. You are a great Jets fan and one of the good guys on this site, especially considering how jaded this team could have made you over the years!!! Of the older end of the Jets fans, I look up to and have a lot more respect than somebody else who will remain nameless (_ank/_aples)!!!!
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Eddie-
LOL. Can’t believe Rex said that—just net us 40 yards!
But that’s the problem with Weatherford: he’s living up to RR’s low expectations.
And, yes, elite, clutch kickers are very rare. But that’s true at most positions. How many elite CBs are there like Revis?
My point is that we may not be able to pick up a Matt Stover–we may not be able to pick up an ELITE kicker. But we should be able to find a QUALITY kicker.
Which is to say, we can do better than Jay Feely. And we can do a hell of a lot better than Nick Folk.
We can also do better than Steve Weatherford.
What concerns me is that Rex & the FO don’t seem to recognize how essential it is to find a quality kicker or a quality punter.
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Eddie-
I was writing my most recent post while you were writing yours.
Thanks for the kind words.
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I dont even know how many true clutch kickers there are in the league. It seems like a rarity to me. Feely has been pretty good throughout his career, but by no stretch of the imagination is he an elite kicker. Maybe Folk is the answer and maybe he isn’t. Its impossible to know right now. He definitely does have the ability to be a great kicker. Maybe the Jets can just find him a really good shrink lol.
The thing about kickers is that a guy can be great one year and terrible the next. Thats why I would hate to give Feely a big deal. Look at Jason Elam. He was REALLY good (much better than Feely) in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and then all of a sudden he forgot to kick in 2009. Look at Shayne Graham and Nate Kaeding. They was consistant all year and couldn’t buy a FG in the playoffs. Kickers come and kickers go. Unless we are able to get a guy like Janikowski, I don’t really want to give a kicker more than a one-year deal. Its too big a gamble imo.
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Johnny Reefer says:
…guys….its just a kicker…..in April.
Breathe in to the word calm,
Out to the word Relax.I don’t care what name is on the back, just if they make kicks.
but..by the way.. Feely isn’t all that great of a kicker. He was pink slipped from the Giants and the Dolphins before he signed with us only because Nugent got hurt, and took over from there.
Feely missed 3 FG for the giants in one playoff game and 2 for us in the AFC champ.
Sure he was a gamer, but we gave him and chance like we are giving Folk. If he can’t kick we cut him and sign another nobody or bum who used to be good like Feely.
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Because we have a great coach in Westhoff, I believe Folk or whoever they get will be fine. I do hope to see a new punter this year because a in my opinion punting trumps field goal kicking with our style of play.
Go Jets!!!!!
Maybe….Gholston has been putting time in with Special teams and has developed a leg for kicking. LOL
Like Rodney Dangerfield I get no respect!!
Electric Ham, on April 2nd, 2010 at 10:20 am Said:
Jay Feely-K- Jets Apr. 2 – 10:11 am et
The Cardinals have reportedly agreed to terms with free agent K Jay Feely, formerly of the Jets.
Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. The Cardinals parted with strong-legged Neil Rackers due to his hiccups in key situations. Though Feely drilled an impressive 30 of 36 field goals last year, his two misses against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game suggest he may not be much of an improvement on Rackers. Having only Nick Folk on the roster, the Jets could turn to Rackers as an alternative.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger