Rams sign Greg Zuerlein to 3 year deal

[LACHAMP46]

Hmmm....I don't know....The better your team is...the more pressure will be on his kicks....I'd rather they kept his deal shorter....2 years...he did have a bad 2015.

 

[Austin]

Being unfairly maligned is getting verbally buried by people as an unreliable or subpar kicker for 1 bad year where circumstances (4 blocks that year, including an extra point block, 2 63-yard attempts) submarined his percentage (and probably confidence). That's basically the definition of unfairly maligned.

Of note: I'm not talking specifically/only about statements made on this board, as there's a large presence of haters on places like twitter, sports sites, etc., and they're mostly who get me so .

Sorry for the parentheticals.

EDIT: Removed a stray parenthesis

 

[Stl2La]

Greg was perfect on xp attempts this season. Just another head scratching decision from Fisher. Thank god he's not around to make anymore.

 

[jap]

We have two of the most dynamic bionic legs in the business. How many teams can even pretend to boast the same?

 

[shovelpass]

We have two of the most dynamic bionic legs in the business. How many teams can even pretend to boast the same?

You think that maybe Fisher forgot which "football" he was coaching?

"We'll win with
fieldgoals and punts"

 

[jap]

You think that maybe Fisher forgot which "football" he was coaching?

"We'll win with
fieldgoals and punts"

Oh, Fish knows defense and special teams very well. He played on both units as a pro. It's the offensive game that kept him in stitches.

 

[Austin]

Fair enough. I don't personally put much stock in that, considering Greg's XP history has been excellent, and I don't trust a word out of Fisher's mouth, nor can pretend to understand many of the rationales that went into his decisions.

I see your point, and respectfully disagree. I recognize I am often somewhat hyperbolic in my phrasing. I need to tone that down. I continue to believe the narrative against Greg is more emotional than rational, and that makes it unfair in my eyes.

 

[tempests]

Although, there's a strong argument that it would be better than average with a coach who didn't insist on destroying his confidence.

Does that mean a coach who wouldn't send him out there for those long kicks? I think that would have the opposite effect. Having the most FG attempts and FGs made beyond 60 should put a little swag in GZ's step.

I think Greg's confidence was fine under Fisher, the only time I thought he had the yips was during his rookie season. I don't think low percentage kicks damage his confidence, if anything, for a kicker, it's missing the kick he absolutely should have made. Billy Cundiff and Blair Walsh recently.

The only thing I didn't like about lining up Zuerlein from 60 is it sends a message of lowered expectations to the rest of the team. That Fisher lacked a "go for the throat" mentality and was more than content to let 3 pointers win the game for him.

 

[Rmfnlt]

His field goal percentage is 89% under 50 yards. The guy is very good with normal field goals. Jeff Fisher just always wanted to test out "the leg" because we were so desperate to put points on the board. I trust GZ with any field goals under 50. Plus, he gives the chance at a desperation kick if ever needed from over 55.

Over 50 he's a 50/50 kicker. I'm guessing that's above average considering a lot of his tries were over 55 even.

Good signing.

Totally agree.

Fisher did him no favors by engineering the worst offense in the NFL.

I suspect he'll thrive if McVay is as good as we hope he is.

 

[jrry32]

Does that mean a coach who wouldn't send him out there for those long kicks? I think that would have the opposite effect. Having the most FG attempts and FGs made beyond 60 should put a little swag in GZ's step.

It doesn't have the opposite effect. Look at 2016. But no, I mean a coach who doesn't repeatedly trot him out for 46 to 56 yard FGs when he's having a hard time. Fisher destroyed Zuerlein's confidence in 2015 by trotting him out for long kick after long kick (even after Greg was injured). He didn't give him a few chip shots to get his confidence built back up after he missed.

I get it. Our offense sucks, and we need to try and win games, but that behavior just made Greg perform worse and worse.

I think Greg's confidence was fine under Fisher, the only time I thought he had the yips was during his rookie season. I don't think low percentage kicks damage his confidence, if anything, for a kicker, it's missing the kick he absolutely should have made. Billy Cundiff and Blair Walsh recently.

Disagree. Fisher destroyed Greg's confidence in 2015, and he didn't do it by giving him chip shots. He seemed to learn from that in 2016.

 

[ramsince62]

I'm glad he's back still young and can kick the ball out of the end zone, if he continues to work an his accurary, that will be a very good thing.

Still waiting for him to break the distance record....I really thought he'd have done it by now....especially with this team.

 

[Rabid Ram]

He rebounded nicely last year, and earned that contract.

Disclaimer: I'm not looking to stir up an old argument, but as one who was involved in multiple discussions on this in the past, I feel it needs to be said.

Those of us who were hard on Greg in the past were not pushing a "clueless, obnoxious narrative". Believe it or not, since Greg entered the league, the NFL average on kicks beyond 50 yards is 62%, and the league average on kicks below 50 yards is 89%.

Viewed on their own, Greg's numbers look pretty good but compared to the rest of the NFL, less exceptional. The kicker of many nicknames had a rep that exceeded his performance. Noteworthy were his 2014-15 seasons, where his accuracy on kicks below 50 yards declined to 83 and 81%, both below the league average of 88% at the time.
As I say, he recovered nicely in 2016, more resembling his 2012-13 self.

Most people would take average at the kicker position, and so would I. Zuerlein was consistent and reliable last year, and we need more of the same.

Percentages with out stats are usless. Yes he may have had a lower then league average percentage however someone with a 3/3 skews the numbers. Also look at # of attempts that Also skews up the percent