BADOLBILZ Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) The NFL wants to cut down on field goal attempts. It seems like nowadays anytime the LOS is at the 40 or closer it is field goal range so it is easy to see why. I don't like narrowing the posts......that's like adding yardage to the field to increase offense. Teams use kickoff specialists. I don't think anyone has had a kick-block specialist. Just like there are many power forwards out there that aren't NBA quality that have turned into good TE's I think there are some shot blockers out there who could make an impact. One guy off the top of my head is former Michigan center Brent Petway. 6'9" with 7'2" wingspan and 42" vertical. Great shot blocker, no hands or offensive skill whatsoever. He flunked out of the D league after winning it's inaugural slam dunk championship. Currently playing in Greece. If Langston Walker can block a couple kicks per year with his 18" vertical I think a guy like Petway could block 10 or more. My guess is he'd probably get at least a foot if not 2 feet closer to kicks than anyone in the current NFL. I think there are guys like this out there that could block the sh*t out of all these long, low trajectory kicks and blocked kicks are among the most exciting plays in the game. Tightening the uprights will lead to more missed kicks at all ranges. Missed kicks aren't as exciting as blocked ones. Edited January 4, 2015 by BADOLBEELZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 If there was someone out there that could do it much better than it's being done, I'd think an attempt would be made to find them. They could just amend the rules back to how they were allowing you to climb on your teammates. Granted, kickers are MUCH better than they used to be, but I recall Sherman White blocked numerous, maybe like 8 kicks, one yr. Ted Hendricks was very successful at it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 If there was someone out there that could do it much better than it's being done, I'd think an attempt would be made to find them. They could just amend the rules back to how they were allowing you to climb on your teammates. Granted, kickers are MUCH better than they used to be, but I recall Sherman White blocked numerous, maybe like 8 kicks, one yr. Ted Hendricks was very successful at it, too. I think it comes down to a roster spot. Blocked kicks are rare now and they feel kinda' random. If there was an anticipation of a showdown between a kicker and a kick blocker that adds some suspense and strategy to the game without the dangerous stack and launch tactics that were banned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I think it comes down to a roster spot. Blocked kicks are rare now and they feel kinda' random. If there was an anticipation of a showdown between a kicker and a kick blocker that adds some suspense and strategy to the game without the dangerous stack and launch tactics that were banned. Agreed- that and coaches are old school and don't like being the weird guy in the league. It'd be an interesting prospect. You'd have to teach the guy to be a 3rd TE or 5th WR and be a jump ball specialist too, to even remotely get a coach to consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 No hands or offensive skill whatsoever? Bring him in to compete for QB this summer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Remember, a blocked kick is not only worth (saved) points, but I'd think it's also worth yardage as well. A KO specialist is used perhaps 5x/game on avg & is worth I'd say at most 5 yds/kick, or 25 yds/game, prolly closer to 15. You'll have approximately 2 successful FGs (ignore XP) / game. If you can manage to block, say 20-25%... If an avg FG attempt is roughly 40 yds (ie try from 30), that means that if a blocked FG is brought back to the spot, that's roughly 8 yds relative to a successful try (assume an avg drive start after a KO of the 22. (Further, I would contend that on avg, blocked kicks result in an avg drive start beyond the point of try (or even a potential return for TD.) So improving your kick blocking is worth roughly 4 yds/game, in addition to the 1.5 pts. Again, I just don't think it's very doable, w/o modifying the rules to how they were before. Mario Williams is a very good rusher & is very tall (for that matter I'd bet he prolly has close to a 3' vertical); I don't think you'd find anyone much more (theoretically) capable of blocking kicks than him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Quint Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Great shot blocker, no hands or offensive skill whatsoever. We should have tried this with James Hardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Remember, a blocked kick is not only worth (saved) points, but I'd think it's also worth yardage as well. A KO specialist is used perhaps 5x/game on avg & is worth I'd say at most 5 yds/kick, or 25 yds/game, prolly closer to 15. You'll have approximately 2 successful FGs (ignore XP) / game. If you can manage to block, say 20-25%... If an avg FG attempt is roughly 40 yds (ie try from 30), that means that if a blocked FG is brought back to the spot, that's roughly 8 yds relative to a successful try (assume an avg drive start after a KO of the 22. (Further, I would contend that on avg, blocked kicks result in an avg drive start beyond the point of try (or even a potential return for TD.) So improving your kick blocking is worth roughly 4 yds/game, in addition to the 1.5 pts. Again, I just don't think it's very doable, w/o modifying the rules to how they were before. Mario Williams is a very good rusher & is very tall (for that matter I'd bet he prolly has close to a 3' vertical); I don't think you'd find anyone much more (theoretically) capable of blocking kicks than him. i'd be surprised if Mario hasn't lost a foot from his vertical after 8 years in the trenches. It would be interesting to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Section242 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Weren't the Bills one of the only teams to use a kickoff specialist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Weren't the Bills one of the only teams to use a kickoff specialist? I believe the Bills and GB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearNorth Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The Bills have Boobie, who blocked at least two kicks this year, plus he can play RB, FB, and Teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 it's no worse an idea than tying up a roster spot on an extra kicker, for god's sakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadbeef Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I don't know what constitutes a leaping penalty these days but when I watched mario block a kick he never left the ground. He penetrated and stuck up his hand. I thought you can jump only if you are not moving forward... If you got a big dude, 7-2 350lbs, I think he could be put to multiple uses. Jason Peters used to play special teams early in his career and no one wanted to block him on a kick return. Like a running cannon ball. Refrigerator Perry had his uses as a goal line specialist. If a 350lb dude dives over the pile at the goal line is a 250lb backer going to slow him down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Weren't the Bills one of the only teams to use a kickoff specialist? Didn't Denver use one in the game against them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Put a 3 foot diameter circle just outside the goal post. If you hit it, it's worth 5 points and the mascot gets dropped into a dunk tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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