Background on Dan Bailey

[CCBoy]

It appears that who I tagged as Mr. Ice, is now a cool pool of water...

 

[Ranched]

Finally the Cowboys are realizing that back issues aren't like a pulled muscle.

 

[Ranched]

I feel better after seeing this on you tube.

....and I feel better seeing Bailey in a different uniform.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

It isn't like Bailey's getting hit out there on the football field. He's a kicker. Don't know how much his back has impacted him. I agree with the rest. Once you start having back problems it always comes back. I've had back problems for over 20 years. Most days it feels good but then sometimes just out of the blue ,if I just move it wrong ,it can go out.

As a former high school kicker, I can tell you that back problems make kicking extremely difficult.

 

[Ranched]

More like back injuries are a reality in a game that requires as much torque, twist, and violent collisions as football

True. There's jobs fans have on this forum that do much more at their jobs. Unfortunately they don't get paid the millions to brutalize their bodies like NFL players do in just a game. Now that's is "reality".

 

[Ranched]

I believe Bailey was cut for one reason only, the saving of 3 million dollars on the cap......

 

[mmohican29]

I liked Bailey, a lot, but you'd have to be Stevie Wonder if you missed how badly his game had slipped.

As soon as his release was announced, my first thought was "Good."

I said it in a previous post: Bailey was hardly automatic over the last two seasons. He was bubble-wrapped and would kick decently, but let's not forget his big misses the past 2 or 3 seasons.

Green Bay playoff game miss was huge.

Seattle miss was huge last year.

How many bounce ins did he have as well the past year or two? His overall % would look even worse.

Bailey started to look like a choke waiting to happen, and to me: that Seattle miss was exactly that. It wasn't received as one because the Cowboys still faced long odds to reach the post-season, but the season was INDEED on the line on a chip shot FG that he missed.

Follow that miss up with the last game vs Philadelphia 4 or 5 weeks returned he missed 2 XP and a chipshot FG, maybe 2 FG's. He was shaky and his confidence looked evaporated.

Now, I'm of the mindset a kicker is important and someone like Dan Bailey deserves every opportunity. I'm not sure he got wind his job was on the line. That's a miss on the organization's part- he deserved a "competition" for the roster spot.

If anything, the players on this team NOW have to see their roster spots as tenuous according to their performance. We have jettisoned with a handshake and a hug very visible Cowboy greats. That might not be a bad thing.

 

[Trouty]

Fact is, none of us know if this was a good move, yet. Not until we see Maher when the games count. Same for Bailey. If Bailey comes back, is signed by a team, and hits 85-90% of his kicks, and Maher hits his CFL avg of mid 70%, we lost. If Bailey is so injured that he goes on unsigned (despite going 44/48 in preseason), or comes back and has yips/permanent damage, we win.

But no one here, based on all the info we have, including some really nice practice and college vids posted, and that one 57 yarder the other day in preseason game 3, know jack-all about Maher, or how he will do. Or if we're a better team, now. He has been a journeyman his whole professional career. His fans from college acknowledge how hot and cold he goes, etc. He isn't some hotshot we've been stashing on the PS or just drafted in the 4th or 5th round.

Also, If the braintrust is pushing this money saved by cutting Dan towards cap rollover to sign a player like EThomas this upcoming offseason, or to secure Tank for the next five years (or both), then that would be something else to consider (as well as try to shore up some depth for this team). Assuming, again, our braintrust trusts Maher to be, at least, similarly productive as Bailey would have been this year. And, also, assuming our braintrust wants to spend some real money in FA. Having space in the CAP is only good when you spend up to, or close to, the CAP-ceiling. Otherwise, "yay, Jerry saved MoNEy!"

We need money -- even with the reported 50M in cap space we'll have when we shed the dead money from Romo/etc -- we need it to upgrade S and to re-sign Tank. I hope we target ET hard in FA if we don't get him before then. Even Belichick, whom many here keep citing (do any of you think Belichick roles into a football season with Maher as his K?), will use money saved to sign premium FA talent. Gilmore is his latest.

With all that said, if Bailey is still good, and Maher hits sub-80%, this is bad. If Bailey is hurt/yips/regression and Maher is all of a sudden a good K during games that matter, we win. We shall see. We cannot afford to have a sub-80-85% K this year.

 

[mmohican29]

All those 50 yarders with ease will be missed.

I loved Bailey. The guy was injured last year so I gave him a pass.

We all will, until Maher knocks them through as well. I think he's going to be fine.

 

[Alexander]

Looks like this is circumcising a mosquito as Jerry Jones would put it.

If you listened to Jason Garrett's press conference, his running theme answering questions about Bailey was money. Only at the end did he offhand mention that Maher had a stronger leg.

 

[khiladi]

Is the op applying the same scrutiny to Tyron Smith's back?

Anyway, Garrett just said Bailey's physical problems were behind him. Sounds very much like Garrett didn't want to do this. I'm guessing this was penny pinching Stephen looking at the dollar signs.

There is some financial issues at play in Jerry’s World we aren’t privy too, I’m guessing. Every move, including the Romo and Dez move in reality wreak of trying to cut expenses. Jerry is more worried about the flag and advertisement revenues than the performance of his actual teams it seems. Pre-draft interview, penny-pinching Stephen was basically saying the days of spending big in free agency are over and they are looking to develop talent in-house via the draft and try and extend players to “bargain” deals before free-agency even comes into play for a talented player.

 

[mattjames2010]

We all will, until Maher knocks them through as well. I think he's going to be fine.

You don't replace one of the best kickers in NFL history - no it will not be "fine", the guy will most likely lose us some games and be a significant downgrade.

Baileys and Tuckers don't grow on trees and it wouldn't surprise me if we're rotating through kickers the next few years.

 

[mmohican29]

You don't replace one of the best kickers in NFL history - no it will not be "fine", the guy will most likely lose us some games and be a significant downgrade.

Baileys and Tuckers don't grow on trees and it wouldn't surprise me if we're rotating through kickers the next few years.

Well to recap:

1)Tucker IS better than Bailey, and that margin widened significantly last season.

2) Bailey hit 75% of his kicks last year. I think the kid can beat that number.

3)The Cowboys replaced (Fact) one of the best kickers in NFL history.

So- there you go.

 

[mattjames2010]

Well to recap:

1)Tucker IS better than Bailey, and that margin widened significantly last season.

2) Bailey hit 75% of his kicks last year. I think the kid can beat that number.

3)The Cowboys replaced (Fact) one of the best kickers in NFL history.

So- there you go.

So what? Bailey had one down year, and suddenly, a dude who was terrible in the CFL is going to come to the NFL and do better?

This is spinning. We got rid of a kicker with a long track record of success for a dude who was average in a scrub league. Get of here with this nonsense haha

But he'll be cheaper. Yay.

 

[charleshaleyfan94]

It seems to be a theme with this team... Romo, Tyron, Lawrence, Bailey...

the ones listed had most of the weight of the team on their back.. no accident

 

[Trouty]

Well to recap:

1)Tucker IS better than Bailey, and that margin widened significantly last season.

2) Bailey hit 75% of his kicks last year. I think the kid can beat that number.

3)The Cowboys replaced (Fact) one of the best kickers in NFL history.

So- there you go.

"The kid" (28) has hit 107/137 in the CFL (78.1%). The CFL. 4 years in the league. He bumped it over 80% the last two years (41/50 - 82%, in both '16 and '17). I hope you're right, brother. I'll give him this, that is a lot of volume for kicks (FGs), doubling as a punter, and a decent % when considering the volume.

That amount of FGMs would have put him in the league lead some seasons. However, the percentage is far too low, even for high attempts/made FGs.

#9 in the NFL in Field Goals Made, in 2017 -- was above 84.1% -- and 6 of the 9 teams in Field Goals Made, above 84.1%, were above 90%.

 

[mmohican29]

So what? Bailey had one down year, and suddenly, a dude who was terrible in the CFL is going to come to the NFL and do better?

This is spinning. We got rid of a kicker with a long track record of success for a dude who was average in a scrub league. Get of here with this nonsense haha

But he'll be cheaper. Yay.

If Brett Maher doesn't make his kicks, he will be gone as well. All this angst for a kicker that was no longer "money" ...

Perhaps you remember Mike Vanderjagt? He was a hell of a kicker too. Until one day he wasn't, and he was wearing a Dallas uniform at time and making us look stupid.

We're not at practice every day. Perhaps Bailey was avoiding kicks in practice to save his back. Perhaps the Cowboys don't want to deal with what they went through the past few years bringing bottom of the barrel guys in to compete for the job when Bailey pulled up lame. They liked what they saw in Maher and see him as ready.

He's our guy now. Let's get behind him and discuss his performance moving forward like we do any other player ON the team.

 

[mattjames2010]

If Brett Maher doesn't make his kicks, he will be gone as well. All this angst for a kicker that was no longer "money" ...

Perhaps you remember Mike Vanderjagt? He was a hell of a kicker too. Until one day he wasn't, and he was wearing a Dallas uniform at time and making us look stupid.

We're not at practice every day. Perhaps Bailey was avoiding kicks in practice to save his back. Perhaps the Cowboys don't want to deal with what they went through the past few years bringing bottom of the barrel guys in to compete for the job when Bailey pulled up lame. They liked what they saw in Maher and see him as ready.

He's our guy now. Let's get behind him and discuss his performance moving forward like we do any other player ON the team.

You can point out any kicker throughout history, I just don't care. Cutting a kicker who has a long track record of success for a scrub CFL kicker is stupidity. It would have been best to see if Bailey still had it, because we don't know if he's still money or not. He missed multiple games last year and came back and had some bad games - it's kinda like, I don't know, recovering from an injury and not being 100% may have you play worse like at any position...

I don't need to be at practice, I've watched this team and coaching staff make bad decisions multiple times WITHOUT being at practice that I've called them out on and been correct. Stupid decisions are stupid decisions.

You don't cut your 30 year old kicker that is one of the best in NFL history for a few bad games AT LEAST until you see it happening in the new regular season.

This was all about money and we went cheaper and when you go cheaper you often get what you pay for. The dude will be average and off the roster at the end of the year or before then.

 

[mmohican29]

"The kid" (28) has hit 107/137 in the CFL (78.1%). The CFL. 4 years in the league. He bumped it over 80% the last two years (41/50 - 82%, in both '16 and '17). I hope you're right, brother.

In Maher's defense, it's likely tougher to kick in the CFL.

Almost all venues in CFL are open stadium designs, and in colder cities. Weird goalpost set up. Sub NFL level placeholders and longsnappers.

I think someone posted he missed a good portion of "long" FG's in the CFL because he has such a big leg.

If he's Roberto Aguayo or the Korean kicker that won the SD job and was gone a few weeks later, then the FO will look silly.

Let's hope that's not the case, correct?

 

[Trouty]

In Maher's defense, it's likely tougher to kick in the CFL.

Almost all venues in CFL are open stadium designs, and in colder cities. Weird goalpost set up. Sub NFL level placeholders and longsnappers.

I think someone posted he missed a good portion of "long" FG's in the CFL because he has such a big leg.

If he's Roberto Aguayo or the Korean kicker that won the SD job and was gone a few weeks later, then the FO will look silly.

Let's hope that's not the case, correct?

I appreciate it, Mohican. I haven't a phantom's idea of what kicking conditions are for CFL Ks.

I'm rooting for the Maher. I'm rooting that we made the right decision. I have enjoyed some of the videos that posters have made with clips of Maher booming kicks, and hitting good ones.

Yes, let's hope he's not of the second to last paragraph of your's ilk