Broaddus Breakdown: Specialists

[Alexander]

Broaddus Breakdown: Specialists

July, 6, 2010 Jul 6
12:00
AM CT
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4668996/broaddus-breakdown-specialists#comments
By Bryan Broaddus


Last in a series breaking down the Cowboys by position (previous entries):

Roster locks: David Buehler, Mat McBriar, L.P. Ladouceur

Good bets: None

On the bubble: None

Long shots: Delbert Alvarado


Scott Boehm/Getty Images)
David Buehler is a proven kickoff specialist, but the Cowboys are betting that he can reliably convert field goal attempts.


I personally don’t think they have a kicker on this team.

I welcome David Buehler to prove me wrong. In talking to special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who believes in Buehler, I know they have a backup plan. How quickly will they have to go to the backup plan? Is Buehler going to have the whole preseason to prove himself before they make a decision? I would hate for this team to be held hostage by their kicking situation.

Buehler wasn’t a consistent kicker in college. In the NFL, your teammates have to have the confidence that you’re going to make the kick. I don’t know if they have that confidence in Buehler. If they watch the same practices that I’ve been watching, I don’t know how they can have that confidence. Look what happened with Nick Folk last year. It changed the way the coaches coached the game.

As a kickoff specialist, Buehler is one of the best in the NFL. The Cowboys drafted him to be that weapon. He is that weapon. I’d hate to see them take that away because of him worrying about field goals.

McBriar is also a weapon. He changes field position. His hang time is impressive, and he’s become a good directional punter. He eliminates the return. The only question about him is whether you have to worry about him as a holder. If you have a struggling holder with a struggling kicker, that’s a pretty bad combination.

The funny thing about snappers is that you never know they’re there until they make a mistake. Nobody knows L.P. Ladouceur. You have to admire his consistency, on long and short snaps. His part of the operation is something that you don’t have to worry about. You do have to worry about the hold and kick.

 

[Hoofbite]

Not really sure why McBriar is getting a bad rap as holder. I thought it was pretty clear that was all a cop-out to try and salvage whatever confidence Folk had left.

 

[SDogo]

Interesting, Bryan Broaddus must be watching seperate individual practices that no one else has access to because not only myself but others I know who have pretty reliable information claim David has done nothing but impress everyone. I think the ESPN bug is getting to him.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

Interesting, Bryan Broaddus must be watching seperate individual practices that no one else has access to because not only myself but others I know who have pretty reliable information claim David has done nothing but impress everyone.

Not arguing, but hasn't the Archer/Watkins chat sessions always stated that Beuhler goes about 50/50 on his kicks?

I'm pulling for the kid, and I hope he can do it. But there seems to be a lot of mixed info about him.

 

[SDogo]

Not arguing, but hasn't the Archer/Watkins chat sessions always stated that Beuhler goes about 50/50 on his kicks?

I'm pulling for the kid, and I hope he can do it. But there seems to be a lot of mixed info about him.

Great news is that in less then 30 days we will all get to start seeing for ourselves!

 

[dmq]

What, no waterboy breakdown?

 

[pancakeman]

Not really sure why McBriar is getting a bad rap as holder. I thought it was pretty clear that was all a cop-out to try and salvage whatever confidence Folk had left.

That was my impression too.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Not arguing, but hasn't the Archer/Watkins chat sessions always stated that Beuhler goes about 50/50 on his kicks?

I'm pulling for the kid, and I hope he can do it. But there seems to be a lot of mixed info about him.

It's all crazy because you would see those saying he was missing them but then you would have other reports saying the opposite so I don't know what to believe at this point.

 

[john van brocklin]

Very comforting info on our field goal kicking situation !!!!!!!
What is the cowboys top brass thinking ? This is supposed to be a team with Super bowl asperations and we have this mess ??????????????

 

[NextGenBoys]

I'm a realist-optimist.

But I have to be real when I say I'll be shocked if Buehler can hang onto the job as our main kicker in 2010.

I dont care if we have to use two roster spots, I'd like to sign an old vet for shorter field goals, and then bring in Buehler for 45+.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Very comforting info on our field goal kicking situation !!!!!!!
What is the cowboys top brass thinking ? This is supposed to be a team with Super bowl asperations and we have this mess ??????????????

Settle down killer, it's not like we have Jamarcus Russell at QB

 

[Alexander]

Very comforting info on our field goal kicking situation !!!!!!!
What is the cowboys top brass thinking ? This is supposed to be a team with Super bowl asperations and we have this mess ??????????????

I am more worried about FS and LT than PK.

It is not like there will not be options at kicker should Buehler look bad early in camp. We have no realistic fallback options at the other two positions if our young players cannot do the job. At least with the kickers, there will be legitimate options at the final cuts.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

I'm a realist-optimist.

But I have to be real when I say I'll be shocked if Buehler can hang onto the job as our main kicker in 2010.

I dont care if we have to use two roster spots, I'd like to sign an old vet for shorter field goals, and then bring in Buehler for 45+.

I agree there also. I think Dallas will give Buehler all of pre-season to work on his game, if nothing else than as a backup kicker. I'm a realist too in believing it's a real long-shot for him to become the starter and provide the kind of consistency that Nick Folk ultimately could not.

And I suspect that Cowboys mamagement know this, but will wait until week 1 to sign the real kicker, whoever they have in mind, so that he's on a week-to-week contract (i.e. not guaranteed).

 

[AdamJT13]

Buehler wasn’t a consistent kicker in college.

And when Adam Vinatieri was a senior in college, he lost his job as the field goal kicker ... to a defensive lineman.

 

[baj1dallas]

And when Adam Vinatieri was a senior in college, he lost his job as the field goal kicker ... to a defensive lineman.

Are you saying we should let Ratliff have a go at kicking?

 

[SDogo]

Are you saying we should let Ratliff have a go at kicking?

 

[gimmesix]

Not really sure why McBriar is getting a bad rap as holder. I thought it was pretty clear that was all a cop-out to try and salvage whatever confidence Folk had left.

Even if McBriar assumed some blame that wasn't his, it was clear on at least two kicks he turned the laces wrong forcing Folk to kick them.

McBriar was the one who also said he was reaching for the snap instead of letting it come to him, which threw off the placement. I have trouble believing he said that just as a cop-out for Folk, but as a way of looking at what the trouble might be from his end.

No one else was blaming McBriar, so he took it upon himself to admit his faults as a holder ... and it's because of those faults that I would rather Dallas find someone else for the job.

 

[UnoDallas]

Buehler started all 13 games as a senior in the 2008 season, making 9 of 13 field goals and 65 of 66 extra points.[4] Three of his four missed field goals during the season came during his final regular season game against rival UCLA, where he missed all three attempts in a 28–7 Trojans victory. Buehler blamed himself for trying to do a different routine before his final regular-season game

USC head coach Pete Carroll: "David gets great height on the ball and is very consistent. There's no question about his leg strength. He's a really good kicker."
A M L
2007 (Jr.)191647 so he missed three
so a total of 7 in his JR an SR years

if he does this good I am not worried

 

[proscout]

Buehler started all 13 games as a senior in the 2008 season, making 9 of 13 field goals and 65 of 66 extra points.[4] Three of his four missed field goals during the season came during his final regular season game against rival UCLA, where he missed all three attempts in a 28–7 Trojans victory. Buehler blamed himself for trying to do a different routine before his final regular-season game

USC head coach Pete Carroll: "David gets great height on the ball and is very consistent. There's no question about his leg strength. He's a really good kicker."
A M L
2007 (Jr.)191647 so he missed three
so a total of 7 in his JR an SR years

if he does this good I am not worried

All I know is what I see and who I have talked to about the situation...there will be no going into October looking for a kicker to handle the duty. Either he gets it done this Summer or we can all talk about what extra player they will not be able to keep because they have to carry a kicker...

 

[big dog cowboy]

I would hate for this team to be held hostage by their kicking situation.

There is a backup plan in place in case Buehler fails. Why to mediots try to blow things out of proportion? We won't be held hostage by out kicking situation. PLEASE!