Kickers Are People, Too (SV)

March 23, 2010

With all the attention surrounding tall receivers and big guys named Tank and Bobbie, the small problem of the kicking situation remains in question.

Shayne Graham is an unprotected free agent this year, and there has been no word about the Bengals showing any interest in resigning him. Cincinnati did bring back Dave Raynor – the kicker the Bengals signed after Graham injured himself in the pre-season – but can we trust Raynor more than Graham to make kicks in the playoffs?
The Bengals could look to draft a kicker to develop; they selected Cincinnati native Kevin Huber in the fifth round last draft and turned him into an immediate upgrade at the punter position. Special-teams Coach Darren Simmons has attended various college pro days around the country, but that is a pretty standard off-season occurrence and probably shouldn't be analyzed too deeply.

Still, there are a few good prospects in this draft.

One is Kentucky native Aaron Pettry, an Ohio State alumnus, who is ranked atop many draft charts for kickers this year. Pettry showed a strong leg by making field goals from 50 and 52 yards last season, but his accuracy might be a concern as he missed four times with 40 yards. Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence only missed three times in 27 attempts but didn’t convert anything over 50 yards.

There is always an emergency kicker in the free agent market – Billy Cundiff comes to mind – and the Bengals will have to address a long-term answer for that dainty yet crucial spot on the team someday anyway. To take a decent kicker in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft (April 22-24) makes a lot of sense and would be a welcome pick to most fans.

But if the team finds itself at its next training camp with Raynor as the only kicker in sight, I think Chad Ochocinco should get a legitimate shot to compete for the starting kicker.

We all saw that point-after split the uprights with grace, altitude and distance. Then we watched his ensuing kickoff driven deep to the 10-yard line. The man has a motor mouth, but he also apparently has a kicker’s leg, and it seems worth testing its range. Why not? It would save a roster spot and generate more interest in the team.

Eighty-Five is a freak athlete who could probably play professional soccer and who once outraced a horse on television. He has the sleek elegance of a jungle cat on routes and can become boneless around the sidelines to get his feet in. He is a terrific football player, and that could very well include kicking.

It is unlikely that Chad ends up the kicker next year, same as Graham. That still just leaves Raynor, and I don't think that’s good enough. The Bengals should either draft a kicker this year or allow Ocho to expand his carnival to special teams. To leave it unaddressed would be foolish; kickers might be small, but they matter too, damn it – they matter, too.