Signed by Cowboys Cowboys sign K Greg Zeurlein

Star Guard_31

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Since statistics seems to be a challenge for you.

Forbath has only played in 81 games and has attempted 19 fg’s from 50+.

Stephen Gostokowski has played in 205 games and has attempted 35 fg’s from 50+.

Robbie Gould has played in played in 221 games and has attempted 41 fg’s from 50+.

Those are two other kickers who are also in the top 10 in career accuracy along with Forbath who have less attempts from 50 per game than him. Guess the coaches must know they can’t hit from 50 either.

Not only is Forbath the more accurate kicker when you subtract their 50+ yard attempts, as you pointed out, but Forbath actually has a better a better conversion percentage from 50+ yards.

So the argument for consistency when it comes to distance kicking -- the supposed strength of Zuerlein -- is actually weakened when you include their stats for long range FGs.

Career 50+ yd Conversion %
Kai Forbath: 63.2%
Greg Zuerlein: 60%
 

joseephuss

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The knock on Forbath has been his lack of leg strength on kickoffs, not his kicking accuracy. I suspect that's why Zuerlein was signed, along with his ties to Fassel, as he's one of the best in the league as far as kickoffs/touchbacks go. Front office is hoping he can return to his '16-'18 form FG kicking wise.

That link does nothing for me. Nor does your faulty logic of "Belichick knows the value of kickers and cut him." That doesn't change the fact that Forbath's numbers have him as the 9th most accurate kicker of all time. He averages more 50+ yard attempts per game than Robbie Gould and Gostkowski, and is more accurate from 50+ than Will Lutz and Harrison Butker. All stellar kickers.

His numbers support him being a really good kicker, and a mediocre kickoff guy (although he was 12th in kickoff distance and 13th in TB% last season for Dallas).

What is faulty logic about trusting Belichick? One of the best coaches in NFL history had two of the best kickers. He didn't take long to move on from Forbath.

Forbath isn't terrible, but he isn't a great kicker, either. I don't expect him or Zuerlein to solidify the kicking position for several years to come.
 

Star Guard_31

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What is faulty logic about trusting Belichick? One of the best coaches in NFL history had two of the best kickers. He didn't take long to move on from Forbath.

Forbath isn't terrible, but he isn't a great kicker, either. I don't expect him or Zuerlein to solidify the kicking position for several years to come.

Belichick isn't infallible. He also cut or traded Chandler Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Lawyer Milloy, and countless other players in the midst of their primes because he incorrectly thought they had already peaked or were on a downward slide.

Looking at the kicker position alone, he let Adam Vinatieri leave with 10+ elite years left in him. The results remain to be seen, but releasing Stephen Gostkowski in favor of Nick Folk is an eyebrow raising move as well.
 

joseephuss

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Belichick isn't infallible. He also cut or traded Chandler Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Lawyer Milloy, and countless other players in the midst of their primes because he incorrectly thought they had already peaked or were on a downward slide.

Looking at the kicker position alone, he let Adam Vinatieri leave with 10+ elite years left in him. The results remain to be seen, but releasing Stephen Gostkowski in favor of Nick Folk is an eyebrow raising move as well.

Gostkowski has been good for 15 years. It was the right choice to move on from Vinatieri at the time. Over those 10 years Vinatieri was with the Colts, Gostkowski was the better kicker. Moving on from Gostkowski now is also the correct move. I don't think Folk is their final solution, they will make a move to find someone else. I trust Gostkowski or Vinatieri over a long career than I would either Forbath or Zuerlein over a short period.
 

Risen Star

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I think that's what you find out in camp. Forbath's history is up and down. Zeurlein had a period of sustained success before a bad year last year. See who's kicking better in camp and go with him.

I don't think you find that out in camp. You find out if a player's healthy but whether he's going to be consistent making kicks in games is something you'll never really know until you're into the season.

It's not a huge deal. I just think it's dumb when you have real needs on the roster and players still available that can help you.
 

Typhus

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What is faulty logic about trusting Belichick? One of the best coaches in NFL history had two of the best kickers. He didn't take long to move on from Forbath.

Forbath isn't terrible, but he isn't a great kicker, either. I don't expect him or Zuerlein to solidify the kicking position for several years to come.
but its better comp at the position than we have had for how long?.. This positional battle/strength should transcend this roster, as fans we could only be so fortunate.
Microcosm of the.... "New Process".
 

gimmesix

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I don't think you find that out in camp. You find out if a player's healthy but whether he's going to be consistent making kicks in games is something you'll never really know until you're into the season.

It's not a huge deal. I just think it's dumb when you have real needs on the roster and players still available that can help you.

I'm not with you on this. I think it's important to try to shore up the kicking game and having two veterans duking it out gives you a better chance of doing that then just hoping Forbath shows the same accuracy that he did last year. These guys kick in camp and just like with Dan Bailey, Dallas will be able to tell if they are kicking well or kicking poorly.

The other choice would have been either to spend a late-round pick on a kicker or hope some UDFA could provide competition. I'd rather have a guy who has done it before but appears to have had a down season because of injury.
 

gimmesix

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If I remember correctly wasn't Zeurlein fighting injuries last year and late 2018?

I remember hearing about a pulled groin and quad injuries. It was talked a lot about locally since we get a lot of bay area sports news where I live.

Also, the statistics mentioned earlier between Forbath and Zuerlein are slightly misleading given the overall attempts by both over the course of their careers.

Zuerlein has just under 100 more attempts in his carwer than Forbath does.

I'm just happy that we finally brought in actual kicking competition and may the best kicker win!

It's about time that we took this phase of the game seriously again.

I really don't see how anyone can consider this a bad thing.
 

Captain43Crash

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What, is he just going to leave? He can't. He is under contract.
If Dallas likes Zuerlien better are they going to honor Forbath’s contract? Of course not. Forbath will be gone the first chance he gets and there will be no kicking competition.

Put yourself in his shoes. Why would he want to stick around when Dallas signed another kicker for 3 times the money.
 

Captain43Crash

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Because he’s guaranteed next to nothing and zuerlein wasn’t a sure thing.

it’s not complicated. At all
Forbath will not stick around for a kicking competition stacked against him. This is not complicated!
 

RoyTheHammer

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Did Forbath formally sign his contract or do they have an agreement? Can't find an official press statement saying he signed.

Maybe both of these contracts have cheap outs and they just value the competition.

It should definitely be a competition. Greg the Leg sucked last year. And yes Forbath signed and cheap outs in contracts.
 

RoyTheHammer

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If Dallas likes Zuerlien better are they going to honor Forbath’s contract? Of course not. Forbath will be gone the first chance he gets and there will be no kicking competition.

Put yourself in his shoes. Why would he want to stick around when Dallas signed another kicker for 3 times the money.

Because he's under contract and getting paid to either kick or so nothing. Lol
 

CWR

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Awesome signing. Now we have 2 good kickers, compared to the trash we trotted out last season I cant help but like this. It will work itself out.
 

AKATheRake

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I love it. Was hoping for Zuerlein and thought it was possible because of our new ST coach but when we signed Forbath I thought this was a cooked idea.

Good deal too for 1 of the better kickers in the league.

Zuerlein did have an off year last year though from 40-49 yards but was 5/7 from 50+. FG % was 72.7 when he is usually upwards of 80-90 %
 
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