FA: Mason Crosby Edition

[PackAttack12]

There hasn't been much discussion that I can see in regards to what the Packers should/will do with Crosby. He's an unrestricted free agent after making a fairly handsome amount the past few years. He's proven to be an extremely reliable postseason kicker, which would be valuable to have in the twilight years of Rodgers where one would expect the Packers to have a postseason ticket every year.

So what to do?

If it's me, I try extending him on something of a discount to what he was making previously. Not sure that he would go for it, but I'm also not too keen on him continuing to make what he's made, given the other areas of need on the roster.

I also realize though that the potential alternatives the Packers could be left with and the consequences that could result. I'd definitely rather overpay a little bit than deal with a revolving door of crap like the Patriots dealt with throughout the season.

EDIT: We already know how you feel @captainWIMM

 

[XPack]

Was just looking at the list of FAs and Crosby is the highest paid of the lot. Couple of other good probables who can replace Crosby.

Dan Bailey - Vikings
Nick Folk - Patriots

or take a risk with

Kai Forbath - Dallas

 

[longtimefan]

Wife had cancer

Sister in law passed away

He won 2 games vs det this year

I believe statistically his best season ever this year

I would re sign him

 

[Mondio]

I don't mind paying a guy like Crosby at all. I wouldn't make him the highest kicker ever in terms of contract, but I would certainly pay the man.

 

[Ceodore]

I've **** on him in the past, especially during his slumps but I think the "devil you know" analogy is very applicable here. Look at what's happened with the Bears over the years, meanwhile Good as Gould is still banging 50+ yarders through against us.

 

[HardRightEdge]

EDIT: We already know how you feel @captainWIMM

He wanted to cut Tramon Williams as well, which would have been a bad idea, a guy worth bringing back on a one year deal I might add.

Anyway, the league (including the Packers) are increasingly going for it on 4th. and 5 instead trying a 50 yard FG, or 4th. and 2 instead of a 40 yarder, to take a couple of situational examples. With the rule changes you're probaly no worse for wear, on average, kicking off a couple of yards short of the goal line instead of a touchback assuming you place some kind of emphasis on kick coverage. If a kicker had a knack for placing onside kicks, if anybody actually qualified on that score, that's dead with the rule changes.

You still need a reliable guy even if the value of the place kicker has declined. I wouldn't pay $4 mil per year for one anymore. On the other hand, contrary to some beliefs, getting a reliable kicker out of the undrafted free agent pool is no easy get. The guys who are consistently good from year to year are not that common. 2 or 3 on average come out of each draft class, whether drafted or not, out of scads of potentials.

I'd have no problem bringing Crosby back, just not at $4 mil per. Alternatively, I'd look to bring in to camp at least one guy with some NFL experience to recommend him and a rookie low round draftee to compete for the job at less money. The emphais would be on shorter distance accuracy than the big leg. If either or both do not show early promise, keep cutting and signing until you find one that works. That's not without risk, of course.

 

[GleefulGary]

Why wouldn't you bring Crosby back?

He had an excellent year.

 

[Half Empty]

As much as I gag every time I see 'only' when speaking of 7-figure salaries, Crosby's been reliable except for one year, and there are 14 guys with 2020 cap hits over $3 mil. In football team terms, is it worthwhile to try and get him for 3 instead of 4, maybe 5?

 

[GreenNGold_81]

I'm ok with a year to year approach with Crosby. Obviously no sign of decline this year. I think sign a camp leg to compete with him every offseason and until he slows down he's a Packer IMO.

 

[swhitset]

I'm ok with a year to year approach with Crosby. Obviously no sign of decline this year. I think sign a camp leg to compete with him every offseason and until he slows down he's a Packer IMO.

I’d be fine with that... he may not be.

 

[Dantés]

It depends on what kind of market he has. If there is enough competition that they have to lock him up for 2-3 years, then I'd pass. If he can be brought back on a one year deal that allows the Packers to move on if a drafted and/or signed kicker beats him out in camp, then I'd be all for bringing him in as a safety net.

 

[Mondio]

I don’t think Crosby is going to be faced with signing a 1 year deal.

 

[Dantés]

I don’t think Crosby is going to be faced with signing a 1 year deal.

Probably not. But what's tricky is that he's an 81% career kicker who is coming off a 92% season. He's going to ask for a deal commensurate with his outlier season. Maybe that's not a huge deal. But the top guys are making 4-5M/season. I wouldn't want him back for that. I think they can find 80% a lot cheaper. There were 20 NFL kickers in 2019 who were at 80+%.

Of course then you have to think about how much harder a job kicker is in Green Bay, WI. I am not an expert on that.

 

[Packer Fan in SD]

But there were only 4 kickers with a better percentage than him this year, and this is a “ what have you done for me lately league”.

 

[Royal Pain]

The Packers have been very good to Crosby and he is in the twilight of his career. I think he stays in GB on a “reasonable” deal.

 

[Ceodore]

The Packers have been very good to Crosby and he is in the twilight of his career. I think he stays in GB on a “reasonable” deal.

I certainly hope he remembers the 2 times when almost every team in the league would have (justifiably) cut him and the Packers stood by him.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I don’t think Crosby is going to be faced with signing a 1 year deal.

Yeah, he'd be looking for at least two year and he'll get it. The question is what are you willing to pay? $8 mil for two years? No. $6 mil? Warmer. $5 mil? Sold American. There were 16 kickers in the league last season at $3 mil per year or more not including Crosby. That's the market.

Among kickers under contract this past season, you can scan through the far right column in the following list to see who will be a 2020 FA:

https://overthecap.com/position/kicker/

There's not much consistency out there. Vinatieri is at the end of the line. Bailey and Zuerlein were names once upon a time but yo-yo from year to year. Crosby has been a yo-yo himself but Bailey and Zeurlein got paid under $2.5 mil for their inconsistency in their last deals. It would be dumb to pay Crosby like he's a 90% kicker when he cannot be relied upon to repeat the feat.

 

[melvin dangerr]

Resign him, still reliable kicker, and GB has not put a suitable replacement on the roster yet, you don’t have to give him a long term deal.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'd definitely rather overpay a little bit than deal with a revolving door of crap like the Patriots dealt with throughout the season.

The most key words of this thread are those. While overpaying a Kicker isn't ideal if that Kicker doesn't do his job, all in all I will take Crosy over 90% of the kickers in the NFL. If someone wants to save a few million dollars and just bring in some free agents rookies, let me know how that works out.

If Crosby's 2012 season could be erased from peoples memories, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion every fricking year.

 

[Mondio]

Probably not. But what's tricky is that he's an 81% career kicker who is coming off a 92% season. He's going to ask for a deal commensurate with his outlier season. Maybe that's not a huge deal. But the top guys are making 4-5M/season. I wouldn't want him back for that. I think they can find 80% a lot cheaper. There were 20 NFL kickers in 2019 who were at 80+%.

Of course then you have to think about how much harder a job kicker is in Green Bay, WI. I am not an expert on that.

I don't know. I'm inclined to say if you can sign him for 2-3, an obvious yes. i'd probably ok at 4, depending on the real dollars spent and structure.

I know the percentages, but it's not all about that for me at least. Some of those guys have had decent percentages and they doink the big kicks. Crosby has performed for a long time in pressure situations. I'm ok rewarding that some to keep it around. It's always for me, with a kicker, when you over pay its like a million a year. It's not like paying a WR 10 million for 700K performance.

You never know with any signing, especially kickers, but he's been solid for a long time here and we've seen other teams in our own division struggle with kickers and it cost them in big ways. But knowing what he's done, and mentally what it took for a good guy like Crosby to do what he did this year with all the personal pressure he had, i'm ok overpaying some. I think he's the type of guy you take a chance on.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I will take Crosy over 90% of the kickers in the NFL

You don't get out much?

 

[adambr2]

I've been on the "it doesn't pay to pay a kicker" bandwagon for awhile, but it does feel like the last few years that the rookie/undrafted kicker pool has gotten less and less reliable. It seemed like 3 or 4 years ago you could grab any rookie and get 80-85% but more and more of these guys seem to be flaming out.

I'm not interested in carrying a 5M+ cap number for any kicker not named Justin Tucker, but I'd be fine going like 2/6. That seems fair for both sides.

Loyalty is a 2 way street, and I hope Crosby remembers that many teams would have cut bait with him after 2012, and there's no telling whether or not he would have ever gotten a chance to get his career on track again. Instead, he's made $25M since then.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

You don't get out much?

I probably should have quantified that with "I would take Crosby over 90% of the kickers that would be available to the Packers in 2020."

Beating a dead horse hear, but the last kicker that the Packers had in Camp was Sam Ficken. So I assume that was the guy that they considered to be their best option to compete against Crosby last year.

Ficken was cut by the Packers at the end of August, after a pretty solid camp and preseason. He landed with the Jets and put up the following numbers:

• 70% FG's made (19 of 27)
• 88.5% on XP's (23 of 26)

Yup, he only cost the Jets $495K, but I think they got what they paid for. When you look at just how close many of the Packer games were this season, how many of those games do we lose with Sam Ficken doing the Fricken kicken?

 

[longtimefan]

I certainly hope he remembers the 2 times when almost every team in the league would have (justifiably) cut him and the Packers stood by him.

Different bosses then...unless Murphy had his hands in keeping him

 

[Mondio]

Fricken Kicken, i like it. The saying, not that I want him as our kicker