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Today's Special : Experience
Position Series: Vets Reign At Punter, Kicker & Holder
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
July 16, 2007 5:27 PM
(Editor's Note: This is the sixth of a 10-part series, DallasCowboys.com analyzing the Cowboys position-by-position as they begin final preparations for the July 24 start to training camp. Today will feature special teams.)
IRVING, Texas - Nobody needs to tell the Cowboys how special teams can win or lose games.
They've seen it, felt it and lived it. And thanks to countless replays, they are forced to relive one of the season's most painful moments.
The image of Tony Romo dropping the field-goal snap in Seattle this past January has been shown over and over. And every time, the ball still slips out of Romo's hands, denying Martin Gramatica the chance at a playoff-winning field goal in the final minutes. Worse, the quarterback never makes it to the first-down marker, either.
The Cowboys quarterback seems to have moved on, so we'll do the same. But it's likely the players, especially the younger ones, were taught a lesson about staying focused at all times, even during the seemingly simplest of tasks.
Even if Romo had successfully placed down the hold like he had done all season, it's still likely he wouldn't be holding this season. Veteran backup quarterback Brad Johnson, an experienced holder, now takes over the duties, relieving Romo of the added responsibility.
So new special teams coach Bruce Read inherits some quality pieces to the kicking game, led by Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar. Veteran kicker Martin Gramatica might have to fend off rookie Nick Folk for his job, although the Cowboys could find a way to keep both.
Signed after Thanksgiving, Gramatica made six of eight field-goal attempts last season.
The return game was strong at the end of the season, with the Cowboys scoring on a punt return in the regular-season finale and a kick-off return in the playoffs, the first in franchise history.
Best Position Battle: When the Cowboys signed Mike Vanderjagt to a three-year deal last year they probably didn't expect any kind of competition at the kicker position in the near future. And it remains to be seen if there will be any competition for the job this summer. But by drafting Nick Folk in the sixth round, the Cowboys obviously would like to see the rookie kicker push the veteran Gramatica. There has been some speculation the Cowboys could keep two kickers - Gramatica for field goals and extra points and Folk for kickoffs. However, the rookie from Arizona was less than impressive on his kickoffs in the mini-camps. But if he proves to be a weapon on kickoffs and hits a few field goals during preseason, the Cowboys might just be tempted to go with the less-expensive rookie altogether, allowing them to save a roster spot, too.
Rookie To Watch: While Folk is the first kicker drafted by the Cowboys since they took University of Texas kicker Jeff Ward in 1987, he's not the only rookie trying to make a difference on special teams. Fourth-round pick Isaiah Stanback is trying to make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, not to mention recover from last season's foot surgery which caused him to miss the off-season mini-camps. The former college quarterback could certainly help his cause to make the squad by making an impression in the return game. Look for Stanback to get a shot to return punts and possibly kickoffs, too. He said he hasn't returned kicks since his freshman year (2002) at the University of Washington.
Don't Forget About Me: Cowboys fans aren't lucky enough to forget what happened on that last field-goal attempt in Seattle. Romo gets blamed for the drop. Even Gramatica took some heat for not throwing his 170-pound body around to block for the scrambling Romo on the disastrous play. But you can't blame anything on long snapper L.P. Ladouceur. Slick ball or not, the snap was there. And the snaps were pretty much there all season long. McBriar credits some of his success to Ladouceur, who is one of the fastest and most accurate snappers in the NFL.
Pick 3
48.2
Cowboys punter Mat McBriar didn't just have a good season last year. Not even just great. No, with a 48.2-yard punting average, the highest by any NFL punter since 1963, McBriar was nothing short of phenomenal, producing one of the best statistical seasons in league history. McBriar was rewarded with his first trip to the Pro Bowl, returning to Hawaii where he started his football career as a walk-on at the University of Hawaii.
24
The Cowboys are going to miss linebacker Ryan Fowler, who signed a restricted free-agency deal with the Tennessee Titans this off-season they chose not to match. Fowler wasn't expected to compete for a starting job at linebacker, but he turned into a stellar special team player. Fowler led the Cowboys with 24 special teams tackles last season, more than any Cowboys player had totaled since Charlie Williams had 26 in 1997.
26.0
No matter who was returning kickoffs last season, the Cowboys were usually good for about 26 yards. Despite the duties being split by Tyson Thompson, who suffered a broken leg in the seventh game of the season, and rookie Miles Austin, the Cowboys had a pair of effective return weapons. Surprisingly enough, both players finished the season with a 26.0-yard average. Austin, who had nine more attempts and 207 more yards, became the first player in Cowboys history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game. This season, it appears the Cowboys will line up both players together on kick-off returns.
Don't Be Surprised If: The Cowboys just can't keep Terence Newman away from punt-return duties. Sure, they're going to try Stanback, and can always rely on Patrick Crayton or possibly Jamaica Rector, if he makes the team. And while the injury risk is always a concern when putting your top cornerback deep on punt returns, the reward in this particular case makes this a rather enticing alternative. Newman proved that in last year's regular-season finale, returning a punt 56 yards against Detroit for his first career touchdown. Newman led the Cowboys last season with a 10.1-yard punt return average.
Fitting In:
Projected Starters:
Mat McBriar (P) - Coming off brilliant season; will be difficult to improve, at least statistically.
Martin Gramatica (K) - Filled in nicely after the Cowboys cut Vanderjagt. If healthy, should be able to retain his job.
L.P. Ladouceur (LS) - Doesn't draw much attention. And at his position, that's always a good thing.
Tyson Thompson (KR) - Hard not to use his speed on kickoffs. But still hasn't had a return longer than 49 yards.
Miles Austin (KR) - Capped off a solid second half of the season with a big kickoff return for a TD in playoffs.
Patrick Crayton (PR) - Not the quickest or even flashiest, but can count on his sure hands to catch the ball.
Brad Johnson (H) - Being the starting quarterback has many perks. And for Romo, getting relieved of his holding duties is one of them.
Solid Backups:
Nick Folk (K) - Didn't exactly excel on kickoffs during the mini-camps but Cowboys are counting on him to at least do that, maybe more.
Isaiah Stanback (KR/PR) - With all of his athleticism, the Cowboys will find a spot for him somewhere.
Terence Newman (PR) - Won't be considered the first option, but his speed and quickness keep him in the hunt.
Uphill Climb:
Sam Paulescu (P) - On another Cowboys team in another year, he might have a good shot. But beating out McBriar won't happen.
Jamaica Rector (PR) - With a crowded group of receivers, punt return might be his only chance to make the team.
(Up Next: Tight Ends )
Position Series: Vets Reign At Punter, Kicker & Holder
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
July 16, 2007 5:27 PM
(Editor's Note: This is the sixth of a 10-part series, DallasCowboys.com analyzing the Cowboys position-by-position as they begin final preparations for the July 24 start to training camp. Today will feature special teams.)
IRVING, Texas - Nobody needs to tell the Cowboys how special teams can win or lose games.
They've seen it, felt it and lived it. And thanks to countless replays, they are forced to relive one of the season's most painful moments.
The image of Tony Romo dropping the field-goal snap in Seattle this past January has been shown over and over. And every time, the ball still slips out of Romo's hands, denying Martin Gramatica the chance at a playoff-winning field goal in the final minutes. Worse, the quarterback never makes it to the first-down marker, either.
The Cowboys quarterback seems to have moved on, so we'll do the same. But it's likely the players, especially the younger ones, were taught a lesson about staying focused at all times, even during the seemingly simplest of tasks.
Even if Romo had successfully placed down the hold like he had done all season, it's still likely he wouldn't be holding this season. Veteran backup quarterback Brad Johnson, an experienced holder, now takes over the duties, relieving Romo of the added responsibility.
So new special teams coach Bruce Read inherits some quality pieces to the kicking game, led by Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar. Veteran kicker Martin Gramatica might have to fend off rookie Nick Folk for his job, although the Cowboys could find a way to keep both.
The return game was strong at the end of the season, with the Cowboys scoring on a punt return in the regular-season finale and a kick-off return in the playoffs, the first in franchise history.
Best Position Battle: When the Cowboys signed Mike Vanderjagt to a three-year deal last year they probably didn't expect any kind of competition at the kicker position in the near future. And it remains to be seen if there will be any competition for the job this summer. But by drafting Nick Folk in the sixth round, the Cowboys obviously would like to see the rookie kicker push the veteran Gramatica. There has been some speculation the Cowboys could keep two kickers - Gramatica for field goals and extra points and Folk for kickoffs. However, the rookie from Arizona was less than impressive on his kickoffs in the mini-camps. But if he proves to be a weapon on kickoffs and hits a few field goals during preseason, the Cowboys might just be tempted to go with the less-expensive rookie altogether, allowing them to save a roster spot, too.
Rookie To Watch: While Folk is the first kicker drafted by the Cowboys since they took University of Texas kicker Jeff Ward in 1987, he's not the only rookie trying to make a difference on special teams. Fourth-round pick Isaiah Stanback is trying to make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, not to mention recover from last season's foot surgery which caused him to miss the off-season mini-camps. The former college quarterback could certainly help his cause to make the squad by making an impression in the return game. Look for Stanback to get a shot to return punts and possibly kickoffs, too. He said he hasn't returned kicks since his freshman year (2002) at the University of Washington.
Don't Forget About Me: Cowboys fans aren't lucky enough to forget what happened on that last field-goal attempt in Seattle. Romo gets blamed for the drop. Even Gramatica took some heat for not throwing his 170-pound body around to block for the scrambling Romo on the disastrous play. But you can't blame anything on long snapper L.P. Ladouceur. Slick ball or not, the snap was there. And the snaps were pretty much there all season long. McBriar credits some of his success to Ladouceur, who is one of the fastest and most accurate snappers in the NFL.
Pick 3
48.2
Cowboys punter Mat McBriar didn't just have a good season last year. Not even just great. No, with a 48.2-yard punting average, the highest by any NFL punter since 1963, McBriar was nothing short of phenomenal, producing one of the best statistical seasons in league history. McBriar was rewarded with his first trip to the Pro Bowl, returning to Hawaii where he started his football career as a walk-on at the University of Hawaii.
24
The Cowboys are going to miss linebacker Ryan Fowler, who signed a restricted free-agency deal with the Tennessee Titans this off-season they chose not to match. Fowler wasn't expected to compete for a starting job at linebacker, but he turned into a stellar special team player. Fowler led the Cowboys with 24 special teams tackles last season, more than any Cowboys player had totaled since Charlie Williams had 26 in 1997.
26.0
No matter who was returning kickoffs last season, the Cowboys were usually good for about 26 yards. Despite the duties being split by Tyson Thompson, who suffered a broken leg in the seventh game of the season, and rookie Miles Austin, the Cowboys had a pair of effective return weapons. Surprisingly enough, both players finished the season with a 26.0-yard average. Austin, who had nine more attempts and 207 more yards, became the first player in Cowboys history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game. This season, it appears the Cowboys will line up both players together on kick-off returns.
Don't Be Surprised If: The Cowboys just can't keep Terence Newman away from punt-return duties. Sure, they're going to try Stanback, and can always rely on Patrick Crayton or possibly Jamaica Rector, if he makes the team. And while the injury risk is always a concern when putting your top cornerback deep on punt returns, the reward in this particular case makes this a rather enticing alternative. Newman proved that in last year's regular-season finale, returning a punt 56 yards against Detroit for his first career touchdown. Newman led the Cowboys last season with a 10.1-yard punt return average.
Fitting In:
Projected Starters:
Mat McBriar (P) - Coming off brilliant season; will be difficult to improve, at least statistically.
Martin Gramatica (K) - Filled in nicely after the Cowboys cut Vanderjagt. If healthy, should be able to retain his job.
L.P. Ladouceur (LS) - Doesn't draw much attention. And at his position, that's always a good thing.
Tyson Thompson (KR) - Hard not to use his speed on kickoffs. But still hasn't had a return longer than 49 yards.
Miles Austin (KR) - Capped off a solid second half of the season with a big kickoff return for a TD in playoffs.
Patrick Crayton (PR) - Not the quickest or even flashiest, but can count on his sure hands to catch the ball.
Brad Johnson (H) - Being the starting quarterback has many perks. And for Romo, getting relieved of his holding duties is one of them.
Solid Backups:
Nick Folk (K) - Didn't exactly excel on kickoffs during the mini-camps but Cowboys are counting on him to at least do that, maybe more.
Isaiah Stanback (KR/PR) - With all of his athleticism, the Cowboys will find a spot for him somewhere.
Terence Newman (PR) - Won't be considered the first option, but his speed and quickness keep him in the hunt.
Uphill Climb:
Sam Paulescu (P) - On another Cowboys team in another year, he might have a good shot. But beating out McBriar won't happen.
Jamaica Rector (PR) - With a crowded group of receivers, punt return might be his only chance to make the team.
(Up Next: Tight Ends )
