[div align=\\\"center\\\"]The Specialist
Volume 2, Issue 1
”Professional football’s only Special Teams focused publication.”[/div]
Season 5 is here! With the NSFL draft complete, we’re going to take a look at how each NSFC team stacks up in the kicking department as we head into the new season. I’ll start by listing each teams’ kicker(s) and their stats from last season, then get into the analysis. ASFC teams will come in Issue 2. Now then...
Baltimore Hawks
Turk Turkleton
30 of 37 Extra Points (85.7%)
21 of 23 Field Goals (91.3%) 3/3 from 50+
Longest FG: 61 yards
Lifetime Hawks player
The Hawks are easy to write about. They’ve got seasoned veteran Turk Turkleton in at the kicker position, and have just signed a huge contract extension with him that will keep him in Baltimore through Season 8. At $3 million a year, a $9 million total deal, this is the league’s largest total contract for a kicker (not the largest single year payout, however). In case you didn’t know, that check is well deserved. Season 4 may not have been a banner year for extra points, as Turkleton was worst in the league at them, but his field goal play remained top of the line. Plus, you’ve just got to look at past seasons to see that his low extra point success rate is a complete outlier, and unlikely to happen again. In season 1, he went 25 of 26 (96.2%). In season 2, he went 23 of 24 (95.8%). In season 3, he went 31 of 33 (93.9%). Anyone who says Turkleton is burned out is kidding themselves and ought to stop reading sensationalist headlines. I’d be very surprised if Turk doesn’t hit at least 90% of his extra point attempts this coming season.
Colorado Yeti
Jimmy Darkapple
27 of 27 Extra Points (100%)
21 of 28 Field Goals (75.0%) 1/4 from 50+
Longest FG: 51 yards
Season 4 DSFL Player for the San Antonio Marshals
In Season 4, the Yeti had Bojo Kicksit, but now that he’s signed with Las Vegas, all Colorado has is the send down Jimmy Darkapple. The thing about DSFL kickers is that they usually don’t see the volume NSFL kickers do. The team with the most extra point attempts in the DSFL last year was Tijuana with 29; if they were an NSFL team, they’d rank 6th. That said, there’s no way you can complain about a perfect success rate on extra points, even if it’s over “only” 27 attempts. What you can complain about (or at least, worry about... it’s not Darkapple’s fault if he’s called up), is his atrocious field goal percentage. Even if you take away all his 50+ yard kicks, he’s still 20 of 24, or 83.3% successful. Better, but not great. Among NSFL kickers, his percentage would only beat out 2 players: Bradley Madlad, and... Bojo Kicksit. So, in the end, Jimmy Darkapple could actually be an upgrade. Except that, unfortunately, you can’t just disregard 50+ yarders, and Darkapple has only made one of those in his two year DSFL career. If I’m the Yeti management, I use Darkapple for only as long as I have to while I search for a better kicker. When you’re rebuilding a team that saw tough early years, you don’t want to have to worry about missing extra points.
One last, mildly interesting thing to note: Kicksit was playing on $2 million in Colorado, but the Legion was able to pick him up for just $500,000. While Bojo certainly didn’t make himself worth two mil in season 4, you’ve gotta wonder: was this a case of Kicksit being tired of his old team, or was Colorado not interested in resigning him? It’s no secret that the Yeti were hoping to get rookie kicker Dean Jackson in the draft, but if they wanted Kicksit, you’d have to think the $500,000 he was willing to accept wouldn’t be that big a deal for their cap room.
Philadelphia Liberty
Stephen Harris
23 of 24 Extra Points (95.8%)
28 of 28 Field Goals (100%) 0/0 from 50+
Longest FG: 47 yards
With the Liberty since season 2
Stephen Harris had a very solid Season 4 with the Liberty. However, his $2 million S4 contract has ended, and he and his team haven’t yet been able to agree on a contract extension. As of Christmas Eve (the 24th), Philadelphia will be able to sign him to a $500,000 inactive contract if they still haven’t made a deal. As Harris was also their punter, and they don’t have any send downs, Philly would almost certainly take this option. As for Harris’s skills: it’s a bit bizarre. Back in season 2, he kicked 5 field goals from over 50 yards, making 4 of them, and notched a career long 57 yarder. Since season 2, he’s never even attempted a kick from over 50 yards. Now, this is on the coaches. He’s proven he can hit it from that distance. Let him keep proving it!
Yellowknife Wraiths
Joseph Lombardi
36 of 38 Extra Points (94.7%)
29 of 34 Field Goals (85.3%) 2/3 from 50+
Longest FG: 57 yards
Backup to Booter in Season 3, sole Wraiths kicker in Season 4
Lombardi hasn’t been anything special this past season. After only taking 4 extra points and 1 field goal behind Booter in season 3, he was signed to a lucrative $2 million deal for season 4, but was near bottom of the pack for both extra points and field goals. He’s probably serviceable for the coming season, but the Wraiths will want to see improvement, and if things don’t get better, either a smaller contract or a new kicker on their roster. Yellowknife is pushing for another Ultimus run, and you can win championships without a top of the line kicker... but not having one sure does make it harder.
Wrap Up:
Don’t take your kicker for granted, Hawks fans. You’ve got something special there that a lot of teams wish they had.
Yeti desperately needs an upgrade, but in fairness, they’re focusing on other parts of their rebuild (and seem to be doing a solid job of it).
The Liberty have an upper-end kicker in Stephen Harris, and with the ability to sign a one year inactive deal at worst, ironing out a deal should be no trouble. Lookin’ good, Philadelphia.
They’re looking for a trophy in Yellowknife. Gooney’s got to step it up, or go home. Championship squads don’t have time for mediocrity.
Thanks for checking in for The Specialist’s first issue of Volume 2! Be sure to check out the next article for similar coverage, but on the ASFC.
——————————
1,110 words. Ready to be graded.
GRADED
Volume 2, Issue 1
”Professional football’s only Special Teams focused publication.”[/div]
Season 5 is here! With the NSFL draft complete, we’re going to take a look at how each NSFC team stacks up in the kicking department as we head into the new season. I’ll start by listing each teams’ kicker(s) and their stats from last season, then get into the analysis. ASFC teams will come in Issue 2. Now then...
Baltimore Hawks
Turk Turkleton
30 of 37 Extra Points (85.7%)
21 of 23 Field Goals (91.3%) 3/3 from 50+
Longest FG: 61 yards
Lifetime Hawks player
The Hawks are easy to write about. They’ve got seasoned veteran Turk Turkleton in at the kicker position, and have just signed a huge contract extension with him that will keep him in Baltimore through Season 8. At $3 million a year, a $9 million total deal, this is the league’s largest total contract for a kicker (not the largest single year payout, however). In case you didn’t know, that check is well deserved. Season 4 may not have been a banner year for extra points, as Turkleton was worst in the league at them, but his field goal play remained top of the line. Plus, you’ve just got to look at past seasons to see that his low extra point success rate is a complete outlier, and unlikely to happen again. In season 1, he went 25 of 26 (96.2%). In season 2, he went 23 of 24 (95.8%). In season 3, he went 31 of 33 (93.9%). Anyone who says Turkleton is burned out is kidding themselves and ought to stop reading sensationalist headlines. I’d be very surprised if Turk doesn’t hit at least 90% of his extra point attempts this coming season.
Colorado Yeti
Jimmy Darkapple
27 of 27 Extra Points (100%)
21 of 28 Field Goals (75.0%) 1/4 from 50+
Longest FG: 51 yards
Season 4 DSFL Player for the San Antonio Marshals
In Season 4, the Yeti had Bojo Kicksit, but now that he’s signed with Las Vegas, all Colorado has is the send down Jimmy Darkapple. The thing about DSFL kickers is that they usually don’t see the volume NSFL kickers do. The team with the most extra point attempts in the DSFL last year was Tijuana with 29; if they were an NSFL team, they’d rank 6th. That said, there’s no way you can complain about a perfect success rate on extra points, even if it’s over “only” 27 attempts. What you can complain about (or at least, worry about... it’s not Darkapple’s fault if he’s called up), is his atrocious field goal percentage. Even if you take away all his 50+ yard kicks, he’s still 20 of 24, or 83.3% successful. Better, but not great. Among NSFL kickers, his percentage would only beat out 2 players: Bradley Madlad, and... Bojo Kicksit. So, in the end, Jimmy Darkapple could actually be an upgrade. Except that, unfortunately, you can’t just disregard 50+ yarders, and Darkapple has only made one of those in his two year DSFL career. If I’m the Yeti management, I use Darkapple for only as long as I have to while I search for a better kicker. When you’re rebuilding a team that saw tough early years, you don’t want to have to worry about missing extra points.
One last, mildly interesting thing to note: Kicksit was playing on $2 million in Colorado, but the Legion was able to pick him up for just $500,000. While Bojo certainly didn’t make himself worth two mil in season 4, you’ve gotta wonder: was this a case of Kicksit being tired of his old team, or was Colorado not interested in resigning him? It’s no secret that the Yeti were hoping to get rookie kicker Dean Jackson in the draft, but if they wanted Kicksit, you’d have to think the $500,000 he was willing to accept wouldn’t be that big a deal for their cap room.
Philadelphia Liberty
Stephen Harris
23 of 24 Extra Points (95.8%)
28 of 28 Field Goals (100%) 0/0 from 50+
Longest FG: 47 yards
With the Liberty since season 2
Stephen Harris had a very solid Season 4 with the Liberty. However, his $2 million S4 contract has ended, and he and his team haven’t yet been able to agree on a contract extension. As of Christmas Eve (the 24th), Philadelphia will be able to sign him to a $500,000 inactive contract if they still haven’t made a deal. As Harris was also their punter, and they don’t have any send downs, Philly would almost certainly take this option. As for Harris’s skills: it’s a bit bizarre. Back in season 2, he kicked 5 field goals from over 50 yards, making 4 of them, and notched a career long 57 yarder. Since season 2, he’s never even attempted a kick from over 50 yards. Now, this is on the coaches. He’s proven he can hit it from that distance. Let him keep proving it!
Yellowknife Wraiths
Joseph Lombardi
36 of 38 Extra Points (94.7%)
29 of 34 Field Goals (85.3%) 2/3 from 50+
Longest FG: 57 yards
Backup to Booter in Season 3, sole Wraiths kicker in Season 4
Lombardi hasn’t been anything special this past season. After only taking 4 extra points and 1 field goal behind Booter in season 3, he was signed to a lucrative $2 million deal for season 4, but was near bottom of the pack for both extra points and field goals. He’s probably serviceable for the coming season, but the Wraiths will want to see improvement, and if things don’t get better, either a smaller contract or a new kicker on their roster. Yellowknife is pushing for another Ultimus run, and you can win championships without a top of the line kicker... but not having one sure does make it harder.
Wrap Up:
Don’t take your kicker for granted, Hawks fans. You’ve got something special there that a lot of teams wish they had.
Yeti desperately needs an upgrade, but in fairness, they’re focusing on other parts of their rebuild (and seem to be doing a solid job of it).
The Liberty have an upper-end kicker in Stephen Harris, and with the ability to sign a one year inactive deal at worst, ironing out a deal should be no trouble. Lookin’ good, Philadelphia.
They’re looking for a trophy in Yellowknife. Gooney’s got to step it up, or go home. Championship squads don’t have time for mediocrity.
Thanks for checking in for The Specialist’s first issue of Volume 2! Be sure to check out the next article for similar coverage, but on the ASFC.
——————————
1,110 words. Ready to be graded.
GRADED