Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍

[Offseason] Let Rackers walk, sign/draft new kicker

GuerillaBlack

GuerillaBlack

Hall of Fame
Maybe the Texans can draft one, or sign one in free agency and let Rackers walk. Not confident in him at all. You have to be able to kick a long FG, especially in the playoffs. Anything over 40 yards is a 50-50 kick from Rackers and you can't have that. When was the last time Rackers kicked a FG that hit the net and didn't just barely make it in?
 
Did I make a troll thread or something? Why would someone vote this thread as one star? Maybe that person is Rackers' wife or something...

srrono said:
Really, thats a real crap shoot. We know what we have with Rackers.
Click to expand...

Yes, and what we have in Rackers is a kicker who is iffy with any kick above 40 yards and where anything above 50 yards is a no-go. Texans can use an upgrade there and it's not like Rackers is under contract, making the decision even easier to let him walk.
 
i was worried about rackers accuracy lately but he was spot on with all his kicks in the wind yesterday... once hes accurate dont really care that he doesnt having a booming leg
 
Maddict5 said:
i was worried about rackers accuracy lately but he was spot on with all his kicks in the wind yesterday... once hes accurate dont really care that he doesnt having a booming leg
Click to expand...

So he can miss 50 yard field goals with the wind at his back? In the playoffs, you NEED a kicker who can be money with kicks over 45 yards. Rackers is not that...
 
GB, there was already a whole "I hate Rackers" thread with stats and everything. Finally, I realized why people get upset with the same threads. I had looked up stats and everything for that thread, and ultimately it died and people quit bumping it....

In summation: Rackers has a career 80% accuracy. The best in the history of the NFL is under 87%. No need to find a new kicker. Actually, the fact that he missed that 50 yarder yesterday was kind of a fluke, as he was 5 for 5 from that distance this year before yesterday.

No, I am not Rackers wife.
 
GuerillaBlack said:
So he can miss 50 yard field goals with the wind at his back? In the playoffs, you NEED a kicker who can be money with kicks over 45 yards. Rackers is not that...
Click to expand...

When he lined up for that field goal, the wind was not at his back. Let's not make stuff up. They showed the goal post and the streams were blowing slightly to the left of Rackers. I think He tried to kick it so it didn't get too high into the swirling wind at the top of the stadium and so the lower kick bounced off the goal post...that is all.
 
Perki-Perk said:
GB, there was already a whole "I hate Rackers" thread with stats and everything. Finally, I realized why people get upset with the same threads. I had looked up stats and everything for that thread, and ultimately it died and people quit bumping it....

In summation: Rackers has a career 80% accuracy. The best in the history of the NFL is under 87%. No need to find a new kicker. Actually, the fact that he missed that 50 yarder yesterday was kind of a fluke, as he was 5 for 5 from that distance this year before yesterday.

No, I am not Rackers wife.
Click to expand...

Rackers got booted out of Arizona for the same reason Kris Brown got booted out of Pittsburgh and then here. When the pressure is on, they can't get. Rackers has a average, maybe even slightly below average leg. It's not like he is an all world out there as a kicker. We can easily find a replacement for him in the draft or FA. Josh Scobee is one I'd look at.

Perki-Perk said:
When he lined up for that field goal, the wind was not at his back. Let's not make stuff up. They showed the goal post and the streams were blowing slightly to the left of Rackers. I think He tried to kick it so it didn't get too high into the swirling wind at the top of the stadium and so the lower kick bounced off the goal post...that is all.
Click to expand...

That's what they said during the broadcast, I'm not going around making stuff up. Let's not assume...

Texan_Bill said:
Who gives a crap about a 50 yard field goal when Jacoby and Kareem Jackson suck ass??!!!
Click to expand...

Agree with Jacoby, but what did Kareem do that was so bad? He was making some good plays and constantly turned his head around. I clapped for him. I was impressed.
 
Perki-Perk said:
When he lined up for that field goal, the wind was not at his back. Let's not make stuff up. They showed the goal post and the streams were blowing slightly to the left of Rackers. I think He tried to kick it so it didn't get too high into the swirling wind at the top of the stadium and so the lower kick bounced off the goal post...that is all.
Click to expand...

The announcers said the wind was at his back, so he's not making it up. But I didn't check the streams to verify, and we all know the announcers aren't always right.

As for me, I'm ok with Rackers coming back. I'm also ok with bringing in some competition.
 
GuerillaBlack said:
We can easily find a replacement for him in the draft or FA. Josh Scobee is one I'd look at.



That's what they said during the broadcast, I'm not going around making stuff up. Let's not assume...



Agree with Jacoby, but what did Kareem do that was so bad? He was making some good plays and constantly turned his head around. I clapped for him. I was impressed.
Click to expand...

A.) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/fg_perc_active.htm You will find Rackers about 5 spots ahead of Scobee...do we really have to do this again??

B.) I did not hear the broadcaster say that, and I am assuming at Rackers tactics, but I don't think it's too far off base. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm right about the streamers...but not 100%

C.) I also rooted for Kareem, I was like, "That's how you play Kareem!!!" I hope he takes that in to next season! Our D was HUGE today. People need to quit trying to find other scape goats....2 words: Jacoby, Yates.
 
We've had this debate before. If I have to choose between accuracy and distance, I'll take accuracy. Kris Brown had a helluva leg, but you need your kicker to hit 80%+ to give you a realistic chance. Right now, you're complaining about Rackers missing a 50-yd. FG, but it wasn't that long ago that we had a kicker who couldn't reliably make a 30-39 yard FG. I worked the numbers his last couple years and Kris Brown was just about the absolute worst kicker between 30-39 yards, but everyone seemed to ignore it because he'd boot a 55 yarder. Well, I'll take accuracy.

Now, I'm all for bringing in competition every single year and trying to find that young kicker that can kick from all distances accurately.
 
TimeKiller said:
UDFA a new kicker, bring some heat on Rackers to improve. Waste of a draft pick.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%, Rackers is alright. Sure I'd love to have a bigger leg at K but I wouldn't be comfortable letting him walk given how good he is from lower range.

The guy is screaming out for some camp competition, don't get me wrong, his limitations ensure that, but you can't just let him walk. He hasn't cost us any games has he.
 
TimeKiller said:
UDFA a new kicker, bring some heat on Rackers to improve. Waste of a draft pick.
Click to expand...

Really? Tell that to Hartmann, using a 6 or 7 on a K is not a wasted pick.....


Im with you, I think we need a new kicker, at least let them compete, if Rackers wins, then so be it, but bring in competition.....
 
GuerillaBlack said:
We can easily find a replacement for him in the draft or FA. Josh Scobee is one I'd look at.
Click to expand...

Kind of a troll thread? yeah, when you post crap like this, it looks like it even if it isn't. Look up stats on Rackers and Scobee and you lose all credibility. As for the notion that it's "easy" to replace via draft or free agency, that's just patently absurd. It is not easy. There are always a few teams every season who have kicker problems, and they don't just pop down to the corner kicker store and sign a better option than Rackers.
 
eriadoc said:
Kind of a troll thread? yeah, when you post crap like this, it looks like it even if it isn't. Look up stats on Rackers and Scobee and you lose all credibility. As for the notion that it's "easy" to replace via draft or free agency, that's just patently absurd. It is not easy. There are always a few teams every season who have kicker problems, and they don't just pop down to the corner kicker store and sign a better option than Rackers.
Click to expand...

I already found a link for him to ponder over...just 2 posts down. If you would keep reading, you wouldn't have to rant like this....
 
GuerillaBlack said:
So he can miss 50 yard field goals with the wind at his back? In the playoffs, you NEED a kicker who can be money with kicks over 45 yards. Rackers is not that...
Click to expand...

We have bigger fish to fry. We need to work on getting more offensive weapons that consistently yield touchdowns. Our offense should be effective enough to get us into the red zone on a regular basis. If we're having to consistently kick 50+ yd FGs then our offense has failed us.

Having said that, I have no issue with bringing in a FG-kicking version of Hartmann to challenge Rackers for that job come T/C time. May the best guy win. Everyone should know that they have to compete for their job; every year.
 
I think a lot of you are blowing this our of proportion, why shouldn't we sign a 6 or 7th rounder to compete? whats the harm in that? since when did competition become a bad thing?
 
amazing80 said:
I think a lot of you are blowing this our of proportion, why shouldn't we sign a 6 or 7th rounder to compete? whats the harm in that? since when did competition become a bad thing?
Click to expand...

A-80, sometimes, I want to neg rep you just because I think you are trying to stir the pot...lol.

I think what your esteemed fans are trying to say is, yes, bring in competition, but not at the cost of a draft pick. K/P is a postion that's rarely drafted unless there's a real gem out there. Course, I could be talking out of my rear here too....
 
Perki-Perk said:
A-80, sometimes, I want to neg rep you just because I think you are trying to stir the pot...lol.

I think what your esteemed fans are trying to say is, yes, bring in competition, but not at the cost of a draft pick. K/P is a postion that's rarely drafted unless there's a real gem out there. Course, I could be talking out of my rear here too....
Click to expand...

Since most of you don't know me, here is how I feel about 6 and 7 rounders. I say use them on k or p because most of the time they do not amount to much, hell even use them as special team aces, but quit picking projects because they have failed and have been a waste for US....using a 7th on a kicker that you like, ensuring you get him, to come in and compete, how is that a waste?
 
Perki-Perk said:
A-80, sometimes, I want to neg rep you just because I think you are trying to stir the pot...lol.

I think what your esteemed fans are trying to say is, yes, bring in competition, but not at the cost of a draft pick. K/P is a postion that's rarely drafted unless there's a real gem out there. Course, I could be talking out of my rear here too....
Click to expand...

I think if you're in desperate need of a kicker, you can justify using a low round pick to get the guy you want.

If you are Houston and you feel you might be able to upgrade but it isn't a necessity, you definately have to draft the best player you can find at that spot who's going to have a chance to improve the rest of your team 2 or 3 years down the line.
 
welsh texan said:
I think if you're in desperate need of a kicker, you can justify using a low round pick to get the guy you want.

If you are Houston and you feel you might be able to upgrade but it isn't a necessity, you definately have to draft the best player you can find at that spot who's going to have a chance to improve the rest of your team 2 or 3 years down the line.
Click to expand...

How has that worked for us? The only time is has, was 2009, which was our BEST draft ever.....every other time those players don't work out.
 
amazing80 said:
I think a lot of you are blowing this our of proportion, why shouldn't we sign a 6 or 7th rounder to compete? whats the harm in that? since when did competition become a bad thing?
Click to expand...

That wasn't the original poster's intent. Have you seen anyone say competition was a bad thing? The idea that we should just summarily let Rackers go is what's being attacked. If the team finds a better kicker, hooray. I think we're all for that. But you don't cut your very productive kicker in order to take a chance on a bunch of unprovens. Since when is it bad that Rackers should stick around to compete with these draft picks or UDFAs? See how straw man arguments work?
 
amazing80 said:
How has that worked for us? The only time is has, was 2009, which was our BEST draft ever.....every other time those players don't work out.
Click to expand...

Faggins, CC Brown, David Anderson, Studdard, Diles, McCain, Nolan, all these guys were picked in the 6th or 7th round and went on to make a significant impact to our team years down the line.

Now, I'm aware that you will come back at me telling me that almost all of these were garbage, but think about it, they were our best available options at the time, we had no better player available to us than our 6th/7th round pickup.

Therefore, those choices in the late rounds made our team better later on. Hard to argue taking a flyer on a Kicker when you already have a high quality one on the roster when you see how many of the guys picked up at that point end up making a contribution at some stage, whether out of necessity or whatever.
 
welsh texan said:
Faggins, CC Brown, David Anderson, Studdard, Diles, McCain, Nolan, all these guys were picked in the 6th or 7th round and went on to make a significant impact to our team years down the line.

Now, I'm aware that you will come back at me telling me that almost all of these were garbage, but think about it, they were our best available options at the time, we had no better player available to us than our 6th/7th round pickup.

Therefore, those choices in the late rounds made our team better later on. Hard to argue taking a flyer on a Kicker when you already have a high quality one on the roster when you see how many of the guys picked up at that point end up making a contribution at some stage, whether out of necessity or whatever.
Click to expand...

Faggins, Brown, Anderson, Diles are gone and I already said 2009 was our best draft ever.....Just because they played a lot doesn't mean they were useful....And I am saying taking a flyer on a k is worth it compared to taking a flyer on a skilled position....
 
eriadoc said:
That wasn't the original poster's intent. Have you seen anyone say competition was a bad thing? The idea that we should just summarily let Rackers go is what's being attacked. If the team finds a better kicker, hooray. I think we're all for that. But you don't cut your very productive kicker in order to take a chance on a bunch of unprovens. Since when is it bad that Rackers should stick around to compete with these draft picks or UDFAs? See how straw man arguments work?
Click to expand...

he should stick around to compete ;)
 
amazing80 said:
Faggins, Brown, Anderson, Diles are gone and I already said 2009 was our best draft ever.....Just because they played a lot doesn't mean they were useful....And I am saying taking a flyer on a k is worth it compared to taking a flyer on a skilled position....
Click to expand...

Seriously, they made our team better than it would have been without them. That makes them useful.

If they weren't the best we could get our hands on at the time, they wouldn't have been playing.

And that is before I get onto the contribution Diles made to this team until 'coaching' got the better of him last season.
 
welsh texan said:
Seriously, they made our team better than it would have been without them. That makes them useful.

If they weren't the best we could get our hands on at the time, they wouldn't have been playing.

And that is before I get onto the contribution Diles made to this team until 'coaching' got the better of him last season.
Click to expand...

Are you seriously keeping a straight face telling me Faggins and Brown made our team better?
 
There was a comment in todays Austin paper about Phil Dawson being available and he wants to come back to Texas, but that also could be inferring Dallas too. I could see him being a Texan, we need more former Longhorns anyway.
 
amazing80 said:
Are you seriously keeping a straight face telling me Faggins and Brown made our team better?
Click to expand...

Yes I am, they beat out everybody else the Texans were capable of signing at that time, the guys who were backing them up weren't as good as them, they guys who got cut in TC, weren't as good as the backups.
 
Let's get that A&m kicker. You know the best in the country. He is really good and the kicker can be the difference in the playoffs as we have seen many times.
 
The Medic01 said:
Let's get that A&m kicker. You know the best in the country. He is really good and the kicker can be the difference in the playoffs as we have seen many times.
Click to expand...


and the regular season. Sebastian Janikowski basically beat us with his FG's from long range. 3 of 50+ yards and 1 of 42 yards last season.
 
The Texans brought in A&M kicker Randy Bullock for a visit.. looks like they might be interested in picking this guy up if hes available late in the draft..

Randy Bullock, Kicker, Texas A&M, 5’9″ 212 lbs.

Considered the premier kicker coming out of college football (Lou Groza Award Winner) and also from Head Coach Gary Kubiak’s Alma Mater, this could possibly be a fit for the young kicker, especially with no signed kicker on the active roster. (Source: Jason Braddock per Pro Football Talk)
 
Premier said:
The Texans brought in A&M kicker Randy Bullock for a visit.. looks like they might be interested in picking this guy up if hes available late in the draft..

Randy Bullock, Kicker, Texas A&M, 5’9″ 212 lbs.

Considered the premier kicker coming out of college football (Lou Groza Award Winner) and also from Head Coach Gary Kubiak’s Alma Mater, this could possibly be a fit for the young kicker, especially with no signed kicker on the active roster. (Source: Jason Braddock per Pro Football Talk)
Click to expand...

He's from the area also. He went to Klein HS. IIRC he was the kicker for the varsity team when he was a freshman back in 2005 (which was my senior year at Klein).

I wonder when's the earliest the Texans would consider drafting a kicker?
 
TexanSam said:
He's from the area also. He went to Klein HS. IIRC he was the kicker for the varsity team when he was a freshman back in 2005 (which was my senior year at Klein).

I wonder when's the earliest the Texans would consider drafting a kicker?
Click to expand...

Well the Eagles took Alex Henry in the 4th last year, so I would guess we might have to spend a 5th on him, or at least a 6th. This is partially why I really hope the Texans trade out of the 1st, because picking up a 2nd, 4th and a 5th would mean that we can afford to spend a 5th on a kicker like Bullock. Ensure we get our guy, just a half round early or so.
 
Dutchrudder said:
Well the Eagles took Alex Henry in the 4th last year, so I would guess we might have to spend a 5th on him, or at least a 6th. This is partially why I really hope the Texans trade out of the 1st, because picking up a 2nd, 4th and a 5th would mean that we can afford to spend a 5th on a kicker like Bullock. Ensure we get our guy, just a half round early or so.
Click to expand...

Yeah...I think trading out of the first is the way to go.
 
badboy said:
trade down with San Francisco (Hill) and then with Giants (Fleener) and pick up a few more picks, right? I could see an OG like Zeitler.
Click to expand...


If Smith could actually trade twice and still pick up a quality OG such as Zeitler I would be very impressed.
 
badboy said:
trade down with San Francisco (Hill) and then with Giants (Fleener) and pick up a few more picks, right? I could see an OG like Zeitler.
Click to expand...

If that happened, mark it down: Best draft day move in Texas draft history.

But (a) would those two teams do that with us, and (b) could we still get Zeitler that way? It assumes a lot, IMO.

Sigh...I dunno. Cleveland seems like the team who has the most monopoly money to spend right now. I could see them looking for a partner, but hell...they could have several teams bargaining for a deal with them (which could devalue whatever compensation you want for that deal).
 
Dallas Morning news :kubepalm::wadepalm:

After winning the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best college football kicker, Randy Bullock seemed like a lock to make it to the next level as an NFL quarterback.
Click to expand...
http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.../despite-winning-the-lou-groza-award-ams.html

"During interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine, Houston Texans special teams coach Joe Marciano asked Texas A&M kicker Randy Bullock how he would handle his first adverse situation in the NFL," Williams writes.

"You've never had a slump," Marciano said. "What happens when you have your first one?"

Bullock, without blinking an eye, said, "Coach, my dad died when I was 15. How much more adversity is there?"
Click to expand...
 
drs23 said:
That was witty, ballzy answer that could very well make him a Texan. I think I like this guy already. In my line of thinking, if they were going to resign Neil Rackers, they'd have already done it.

And a smart young man as well. Seems to fit the team mold. I'd like to see him in Deep Steel Blue.
Click to expand...

As an Aggie I love the guy, but I had him in one of my engineering classes, and he had it made. He would come in on days that HW was due, sit in the back and copy someones HW and turn it in. During test days, he had about 2/3 people sitting around him, feeding him all the answers. This is when I figured out how most football players get through college. But none of that matters, all that matters is that he is a good kicker and I want him on the Texans.
 
Boom, called this one before the season ended. He is a good kicker, but you can get one pretty darn close to his accuracy and leg for MUCH cheaper. not to mention he still makes bone headed misses which is frustrating
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top