Texans host kicker tryouts

[SteveSlaton20]

Would like to sign a KO specialist if we're going to pouce it every time.(Billy Cundiff)

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by 9baller

I may be incorrect but I believe that his suspension was reduced to three games and then subsequently extended 8 additional games (11 total). I got this info from wikipedia. I am not sure if he is serving his suspension or if it begins after he is signed. Maybe someone can help...

I forgot about the reduction to 3 games and I don't recall hearing about the extension to 11 games.

I thought I had heard someone had to sign him for the suspension count-down to start but I could be wrong about that. Even if it is counting down without him being signed, he won't be available for a few more games.

[rolyat93]

Bring back Neil Rackers. LOL

[welsh texan]

As ObsiWan stated, I'm sure this is just their usual Tuesday look in case of an injury. If Graham was to get injured, Bullock is on IR so isn't an option. Its good that they know who to call should something happen.

On kick-offs they seem willing to squib it when facing a good returner, so they are at least aware of their shortcomings pre-game.

Whether the dodgy squibs were due to the weather or just bad kicking idk, but Graham needs to work on it.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by welsh texan

As ObsiWan stated, I'm sure this is just their usual Tuesday look in case of an injury. If Graham was to get injured, Bullock is on IR so isn't an option. Its good that they know who to call should something happen.

On kick-offs they seem willing to squib it when facing a good returner, so they are at least aware of their shortcomings pre-game.

Whether the dodgy squibs were due to the weather or just bad kicking idk, but Graham needs to work on it.

I wondered this myself. I could never tell if he wasn't getting good footing during those squibby kickoffs because (a) I wasn't paying close attention to it then and (b) when I did, they panned to the returner before I could get a good look at whether Graham was slipping or squibbing on purpose.

I know the WRs, DBs, and RBs were slipping all night long. It's quite possible that Smithiak saw that, thought ahead to NE and thought, "maybe we'd better get some playoff insurance in case Graham twists an ankle on a snowy field in in Foxborough..."

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

No Brother, you're mis-interpreting me. Graham is more than servicable. Bullock is the future... I truly believe the "kicking game" is fine within this organization.

It was joke, considering those things that FO should've taken a week off themselves,. Thats all.

Actually it isn't a joke. Their kickoffs are worst in the league. Maybe not a huge deal, but it is a deal. Nothing wrong with "looking" at a couple of kickers.

[TheIronDuke]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Actually it isn't a joke. Their kickoffs are worst in the league. Maybe not a huge deal, but it is a deal. Nothing wrong with "looking" at a couple of kickers.

I agree. It's good to know that the Texans organization isn't just happy with 8-1 and that they're still looking at ways to improve obvious short-comings. Obviously kickoff coverage has been a huge problem with the team and with some of our potential playoff match-ups having good return games I'd rather us be able to boom a kick through the EZ than give up good field position like we have all season long.

Like I posted earlier, Potter was only used for kickoffs by Buffalo so I think it's pretty obvious they're looking at someone for kickoffs only.

[beerlover]

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

I agree. It's good to know that the Texans organization isn't just happy with 8-1 and that they're still looking at ways to improve obvious short-comings. Obviously kickoff coverage has been a huge problem with the team and with some of our potential playoff match-ups having good return games I'd rather us be able to boom a kick through the EZ than give up good field position like we have all season long.

Like I posted earlier, Potter was only used for kickoffs by Buffalo so I think it's pretty obvious they're looking at someone for kickoffs only.

If I may interject, it stands to reason Special Teams performance is being fully evaluated to find ways to improve. Marciano time is now to show he can deliver, Texans will provide him necessary tools to do so, if that is Potter on kick-offs just look at it as tweaking one aspect of special team play. Here Texas-Chick provides some excellent information on subject "what is fixable & what is not" http://blog.chron.com/texanschick/20...e-not-fixable/

[Double Barrel]

ANYTHING that improves our team is good, even if it's something as simple as finding a kick off specialist to give our defense a longer field to protect. Average starting position is a worthy stat in the NFL, and our's is horrible on both sides of the ball. Nothing wrong with tweaking the small things.

[The Pencil Neck]

Don't fix what ain't broke.

But please, do fix what is broke even if everything else is covering up how broke it is.

[corytx8]

Ya know, I kinda wouldn't mind taking hartman on because the guys leg was beast mode.

[Craig.]

Originally Posted by Norg

we need a new punter not a kicker

Seriously?

[TheIronDuke]

Originally Posted by Craig.

Seriously?

Don't mind Norg, his opinions are usually completely outside the realm of reality.

[Wolf6151]

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Don't mind Norg, his opinions are usually completely outside the realm of reality.

It's not a bad idea. In the NFL when field position is so important having a better Punter that can pin an opponent deep in their own territory or make returns almost impossible is a very good thing. Jones has been a decent/good Punter but not great and improving a position is always a good thing.

[TheIronDuke]

Originally Posted by Wolf6151

It's not a bad idea. In the NFL when field position is so important having a better Punter that can pin an opponent deep in their own territory or make returns almost impossible is a very good thing. Jones has been a decent/good Punter but not great and improving a position is always a good thing.

Jones has been more than serviceable. I definitely have more faith in him than Graham. Jones is actually doing better than Hartmann was last season punting wise and most of us were very high on Hartmann.

[Dutchrudder]

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Jones has been more than serviceable. I definitely have more faith in him than Graham. Jones is actually doing better than Hartmann was last season punting wise and most of us were very high on Hartmann.

Agreed. At this point, the only thing Hartman did better than Jones was kickoffs. That dude to could boot the ball between the uprights on kickoffs.

[GP]

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Don't mind Norg, his opinions are usually completely outside the realm of reality.

I like Norg around here.

He's been no more or less wrong on things than any of us have.

And he's nice to everyone.

[EVOLVIST]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

The problem with Hartmann is that he's got that 4 game suspension. The 4 game suspension doesn't start (to the best of my knowledge) until he's signed. That makes him almost unsignable. Who wants to sign a punter, put him on the roster, and him not play for 4 games.

Well, it doesn't look like Hartmann is going to do jack sh!t with the Texans or anybody else for that matter...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/former...171800941.html

HOUSTON, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A former punter for the National Football League's Houston Texans has filed a state district court lawsuit against the owners and managers of Reliant Stadium based on claims that the stadium's poor field conditions caused him to suffer a career-threatening leg injury.

Brett Hartmann was the NFL's leading rookie punter when the Texans played the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 4, 2011. In the game's closing moments, Mr. Hartmann was running down the field when his foot became wedged in a seam between two pieces of the field's grass turf. Video replays clearly show Mr. Hartmann stepping into the seam before falling to the field in agony.

Mr. Hartmann's injury required two extensive surgeries, and he currently faces additional medical procedures that may require a bone in his injured leg to be surgically broken. The Texans cut Mr. Hartmann from this year's roster in August, and he has not played in an NFL game since being injured.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Hartmann by noted Houston attorney Gene Egdorf of The Lanier Law Firm includes claims that Reliant Stadium officials have known about the turf problem since shortly after the stadium opened in 2008.

"The turf at Reliant Stadium is among the worst in the National Football League in terms of player safety, which is simply inexcusable," says Mr. Egdorf, a champion of athletic safety at the collegiate and professional levels. "The poor field conditions at Reliant have been an open secret that the facility's owners and managers have known about for years. Brett's hope is that his lawsuit will prevent other players from suffering needless similar injuries in the future."

The Reliant field consists of hundreds of individual pieces of grass turf that are wedged together to cover the stadium floor. The field's seams have been blamed for causing numerous injuries, including a severe knee injury suffered by New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker in 2009. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called the Reliant Stadium field "one of the worst fields I've ever seen." Former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy was quoted as saying that Colts players were "definitely concerned about the injury factor" based on the stadium's poor field conditions.

The lawsuit is Brett Hartmann v. SMG and Harris County Convention & Sports Corporation, No. 2012-67930, in the 334th District Court in Houston.

[TheIronDuke]

Originally Posted by EVOLVIST

Well, it doesn't look like Hartmann is going to do jack sh!t with the Texans or anybody else for that matter...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/former...171800941.html

Wow, that's interesting. If he gets the turf fixed he might go down as one of my favorite Texans of all time! Thanks for posting.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by GP

I like Norg around here.

He's been no more or less wrong on things than any of us have.

And he's nice to everyone.

I second that.