SB Nation - Dave Rayner

Life with Lawrence Tynes -- do the Giants have to keep living it?

Ed Valentine — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

New York Giants' Lawrence Tynes (9) reacts after hitting a 45-yard field goal as teammate Jeff Feagles (18) stands nearby during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. Unfortunately, with Tynes, we're never quite sure if the result will be good or bad.

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"Kickers are like horse manure. They're all over the place."
-- Former Tampa Bay coach John McKay

"Football kickers are like taxi cabs. You can always go out and hire another one."
-- Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan (1986)

These terrific quotes about placekickers are appropriate today because we need to talk about Lawrence Tynes, the incredibly irritating and inconsistent kicker for our New York Giants.

The 21-yard field goal Tynes missed Sunday against Tampa Bay was the shortest miss by a Giants' kicker since Dec. 19, 1981, when Joe Danelo was unsuccessful from the same distance. It marks two weeks in a row Tynes has missed from inside 30 yards, and that is simply inexcusable in an age where top-flight NFL kickers are nearly automatic inside 40 yards.

Tom Coughlin flatly said "No" Monday when asked if the Giants would work out any potential replacement kickers this week in light of Tynes' recent struggles. He also said this about Tynes.

"I think sometimes what has to happen is as you practice then you have to carry it over into game day. Sometimes there is a little bit of an adjustment that – for whatever reason – is going on that you would like to just stick with what has been good for you and what you have practiced."

To be honest, I really don't know what Coughlin is talking about there. I think it's just a bunch of coach-speak' for 'this is a topic I really don't want to talk about.'

Fact is, though, Tynes' erratic right foot is something I think we -- and the Giants coaching staff -- need to talk about. As I write this (prior to the Monday Night game), 53 field goals have been attempted inside 30 yards thus far this season. Only two have been missed -- both by Tynes. Yikes!

When I think about Tynes I ... I ... I don't know what to think. I get a headache trying to figure him out.

He obviously does not lack for courage. His game-winning kick in Green Bay which sent the Giants to the Super Bowl two seasons ago tells you that. As does his game-winner in Dallas in Week 2, which he had to kick twice.

He has a good track record, having made 100-of-125 kicks (80%) in his six-year career. Inside 30 yards, by the way, this season's two misses give him just three (36-of-39) in his career.

His kickoffs are sometimes deep, booming ones. At other times, they are ugly bouncers. Sometimes, they are high, short ones that land at the 15.

A week ago I wrote this about Tynes. "Tynes is probably the perfect kicker for this team. An imperfect guy who drives you up the wall, but always seems to make the kick that counts."

Was I right? Was I nuts? Is Tynes a quality kicker just going through a bit of a rough stretch? Is he a terrible kicker the Giants are winning in spite of? I just don't know. He has, at times, made things more difficult for the Giants. He has never, that I can remember, gone all Jay Feely in Seattle and cost the Giants a game.

I guess the best question to ask would be, is there anyone else out there who is better?

Available Kickers

If you want to go the way the Giants did last season and try to find the second coming of John Carney, the best choice might be long-time Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover. An 18-year veteran, the 41-year-old Stover is out of work after kicking for the Ravens the past 13 seasons. He was 27-of-33 for Baltimore last season, including 23-of-24 inside 40 yards. I reached out to our friends at the Ravens blog 'Baltimore Beatdown,' for info on Stover. This is part of what I got from 'Beatdown.'

The problem I have w/ him is that outside of 40 yards he is far from accurate and has zero distance. ... Also Stover's issue is depth on kickoffs and carrying two kickers takes up a valuable roster spot that I'm not in favor of. I say keep Tynes over Stover.

So, unless you pretty much never want to make a field goal longer than 40 yards, and you want to see Carney-esque kickoffs, Stover might not be the best idea.

Matt Bryant? The ex-Giant was 33-of-38 for Tampa Bay last season with his only misses coming from outside 40 yards. He is just 33. Bryant, though, was the Giants' kicker in the infamous 'Trey Junkin Game' in 2003, and I just am not sure I could stomach having to think about that game every time the Giants line up for a field goal.

I also reached out to the other SB Nation football bloggers for names of young kickers who impressed them during camp before being released. I heard names like Graham Gano (Ravens), Dave Rayner (Redskins) and Shane Andrus (Colts).

None of these guys has enough of a track record that you can be sure they are any more trustworthy than Tynes.

Maybe the best thing we can do is hope Tynes gets his head straight and stops missing easy kicks that make everyone's lives that much harder -- and shorter.

Hogs Haven Predicts Redskins Final 53

Ken Meringolo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:32:30 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Robert Henson and Cody Glenn may both benefit from being drafted by Vinny Cerrato. He HATES to cut players he drafts!

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First, the obvious: Sugar has been shelved for the time being. I will be tackling a new writing assignment within SB Nation and I was asked to come up with a cooler name to write under. The best I could come up with was "Ken Meringolo". I know what you're thinking...sounds too much like an undercover secret agent of international intrigue. I guess you could say I followed the lead of one my heroes, Lt. Frank Drebin, and decided to use my maiden name.

Not that many tears (besides mine) will be shed over it, but Sugar will most assuredly be back. I will keep you guys posted on when and where my other writing assignments will end up. But on to the issues of the day.

Here is our crack at predicting the Redskins "Final 53". We have all been watching the preseason closely--there won't be many surprises. But we are picking a couple. Have at it (after the jump):

QB (3): Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

RB (5): Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Mike Sellers, Anthony Alridge

WR (5): Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, Marko Mitchell

TE (3): Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

OL (9): Chris Samuels, Derrick Dockery, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Stephon Heyer, Chad Rinehart, Mike Williams, Jeremy Bridges, Will Montgomery

DL (9): Phillip Daniels, Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Andre Carter, Jeremy Jarmon, Rob Jackson

LB (7): London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh, Brian Orakpo, H.B. Blades, Chris Wilson, Cody Glenn, Robert Henson

DB (9): Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall, Fred Smoot, Kevin Barnes, Justin Tryon, LaRon Landry, Chris Horton, Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore

P: Hunter Smith

LS: Ethan Albright

K: Dave Rayner

I put Rob Jackson in over Renaldo Wynn, Robert Henson in over Robert Thomas, Rayner over Suisham, and Anthony Alridge in over whomever you want to call the 53rd man to make it.

Why do I continue to keep Renaldo Wynn off my final 53 list? If you think like me, then you think Wynn is not really a guy who is going to get a lot of snaps anyway unless there is an injury. Rob Jackson is still a little young and raw, and I have not heard his name a ton but if you are going to keep a guy around to caddy for the rest of the defensive linemen, why not keep a young guy who has a shot to develop into a serviceable backup instead of a guy at the end of his rope who has played all of his best football already? This is the pick I will most likely be wrong about, as Renaldo Wynn is a pro who knows how to play the game, and was brought in for his leadership and experience this offseason. But I had to stay true to what I have been saying this summer.

The Robert Henson/Cody Glenn/Robert Thomas decision at linebacker is a little more straight-forward. I think Cody Glenn is at the head of the 3-pack. The decision between Henson and Thomas is not so hard when you remember one thing: Vinny drafted Henson. He hates to be wrong about his draft picks. And lucky for him, he is in the position to pronounce his rightness! Henson has made a few mental blunders during games this preseason, and dropping that sure interception against the Ravens hurt him (coming out of TCU, he was actually graded as a sure-handed linebacker.) But in the end, the team will keep the guy they picked in the draft, and drop the guy they signed off the street. Regardless of who is better--though let's not make that out to be a huge deal. Neither Henson nor Thomas factors huge for us this season, and if Henson can figure out to stay on the field for special teams by mid-season, he will be worth the investment. Finally, it says here that Robert Henson will pull off an Alfred Fincher kind of performance against the Jags and earn the spot.

Anthony Alridge...really? Vinny brought him in this offseason and the word from the inside of the building is that Vinny loves him too much to let him go. What's not to love? He is one of those "yards-per-touch" guys. He is going to get the ball in the flat on screens, pitches, and dump-offs and he is going to get upfield in a hurry. I know Marcus Mason has been a fan favorite to make this squad multiple times, but the fact of the matter is he does not give us something we don't already have. Alridge gives us a scatback, speed option off the bench that will prove very useful this season.

I went with Rayner over Suisham even though there seems to be a resounding consensus that Suisham will retain his position. I FEEL LIKE I AM TAKING CRAZY PILLS! How do you hold any benefit of the doubt in a kicking competition when you were last in the league in field goal percentage? Rayner has had the better kickoff leg and neither has blown the roof off with their field goals. If anything, I would be tempted to keep Rayner and then bring in either Mike Nugent (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or Brandon Coutu (Seattle Seahawks)--helps to watch every preseason game!--to compete with Rayner in the week leading up to the regular season. Coutu has a good chance to make the Seahawks' roster, but if he doesn't, we wouldn't be the only ones trying to sign him.

Practice Squad Predictions: Edwin Williams, Scott Burly, Keith Eloi, Robbie Agnone, Chase Daniel, Eddie Williams

WaTimes 53-man roster [Redskins 360]
WaPost 53-man roster [Redskins Insider]
Redskins Blog [Terl took his link down...I swore it was there?]

What do you guys think?

Poll

Which player that I put in do you think is most likely NOT to make the team?

Robert Henson

113 votes

Anthony Alridge

226 votes

Rob Jackson

263 votes

602 votes | Poll has closed

Bengals sign guard Andrew Crummey

Kirkendall — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:48:25 -0000

Shayne Graham will be ready against the Houston Texans this Sunday, if you take roster moves as an indicator. On Tuesday, the bengals waived replacement kicker, Dave Rayner. When the Bengals actually took their opportunity to score points, Rayner did a solid job converting all three points after touchdown and successfully kicking his only field goal attempt (26 yards).

Since Graham was on the 53-man roster, and the Bengals waived Rayner, that leaves them with an open spot on the 53-man.

Also, Keith Rivers was officially placed on Injured Reserve while the team signed guard Andrew Crummey from the Washington Redskins' practice squad. Crummey, a rookie, is an Ohio native (Van Wert). This Baltimore Sun piece says that Crummy was expected to become a decent lineman in the NFL, but suffered a broken left fibula his senior season. Note the part where it talks about his leadership qualities.

Check out Crummey's Maryland Terps Bio page.

as a Senior (2007): A second-team All-America choice by The Sporting News and a third-team selection by the Associated Press ... nominated for the Jim Tatum Award, which annually honors the top football playing student-athlete in the ACC ... a second-team All-ACC selection by ACSMA and the Associated Press ... a first-team all-conference pick by College Football News ... also an Academic All-ACC choice ... named to the watch lists for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy prior to the season ... ranked as the fourth-best senior offensive guard prospect by ESPN.com during the season ... started eight games at right guard, including the first six contests, before missing five games with a fractured fibula ... opened holes for running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who combined for nearly 1,600 rushing yards ... a preseason first-team All-America choice by ESPN.com and a second-team selection by The Sporting News ... was ranked third nationally among guards by The Sporting News in the preseason ... the sixth-ranked guard in America by Lindy's ... a preseason first-team All-ACC choice by Athlon, Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Lindy's and The Sporting News ... (vs. OSU in the Emerald Bowl) ... started at right guard ... (vs. NCSU) ... returned from injury and was in on 34 plays ... received the second-highest grade of any o-lineman ... helped the Terps roll up 466 yards of total offense, including a season-high 249 rushing yards ... (vs. FSU) ... traveled with the team but did not see game action ... (vs. BC) ... missed fourth-consecutive game with a broken leg ... (vs. UNC) ... did not play due to injury ... (vs. Clemson) ... did not play due to injury ... (vs. UVA) ... did not play due to injury ... (vs. GT) ... started at right guard but left the game due to injury after seeing action on 15 plays ... suffered a fractured left fibula ... (vs. RU) ... started at right guard and saw action on 76 plays tied for the most among all offensive players ... (vs. WFU) ... started at right guard and played in 72 plays, joining Edwin Williams for most on the o-line ... (vs. WVU) ... started at right guard and saw action on 58 plays, second most among offensive linemen ... (vs. FIU) ... started at RG ... (vs. Villanova) ... started at right guard and saw action in 66 plays, tops on the o-line ... had five big blocks.

as a Junior (2006): A second-team All-ACC choice at right guard ... started all 12 games he played ... opened holes for running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who each rushed for over 700 yards on the season ... part of an offensive line which allowed just 19 sacks, the second-lowest total in the ACC ... (vs. PU in the Champs Sports Bowl) ... saw action on 82 plays ... helped the Terps roll up 206 rushing yards ... (vs. WF) ... played and recorded eight big blocks in 59 plays ... (vs. BC) ... started and recorded the highest grade of the day, with two big blocks on 73 plays ... (vs. Miami) ... started and recorded one big block in 35 plays, allowing no sacks ... (vs. Clemson) ... started and recorded the highest grade among starters, with three big blocks on 51 plays ... (vs. FSU) ... started and recorded one big block on 50 plays ... (vs. NC St.) ... started and recorded two big blocks on 50 plays ... (vs. UVa) ... started and recorded the highest line grade among the starters, recording two big blocks on 51 total plays ... (vs. GT) ... started and was in on 56 plays, recording the team's highest offensive line grade and one big block ... (vs. FIU) ... started and was in on 70 plays, registering four big blocks ... (vs. WVU) ... started at right guard and was in on 62 plays with one big block ... (vs. MTSU) ... did not play due to injury ... (vs. W&M) ... started at right guard and was in on 40 plays, recording two big blocks.

as a Sophomore (2005): Started all 11 games at right guard ... finished the season with the second-highest cumulative grade on the team ... in on a team-high 684 total plays ... posted 15 big blocks and allowed just two sacks with no penalties ... (at UNC) ... had arguably his finest game of the season ... recorded a team-high five big blocks on 72 plays ... allowed no sacks ... (at FSU) ... was in on 52 plays ... missed no assignments and allowed no sacks while registering one big block ... (vs. VT) ... recorded one big block and missed just one assignment on 41 plays ... (at TU) ... had no missed assignments and did not allow a sack in 61 plays ... credited with one big block ... finished as team's second-highest rated lineman ... (vs. UVa) ... in on 78 plays and recorded two big blocks ... (at WFU) ... played the most downs of any offensive lineman, recording three big blocks ... (vs. WVU) ... played a team-high 59 plays and did not allow a sack ... (vs. Navy) ... had one big block and just two missed assignments on a team-high 74 plays.

Bengals sign kicker, waive Reagan Maui'a

Kirkendall — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:15:58 -0000

The Bengals announced Saturday the signing of Dave Rayner, specifically for kickoff duties after Shayne Graham suffered a groin injury on his kicking leg during the week. Graham is still expected to kick field goals and PATs.

As a result of the signing, the Bengals had to free up a roster spot on the 53-man roster. They waived fullback Reagan Maui'a; which is a good move. Maui'a was a hard hitter, however, he was often seen standing straight up taking on defenders, sometimes blocking in the wrong direction.

From the team's public relations (via Bengals.com)

The Bengals today made the following roster moves:

Signed free agent K Dave Rayner, a fourth-year NFL player from Michigan State. Rayner (6-2, 210) has 41 games of NFL experience, having played with Indianapolis in 2005, Green Bay in 2006 and Kansas City and San Diego in 2007. He has made 41 of 58 field goal attempts (70.7 percent), with a long of 54 yards, and he is 45-of-46 on PATs. He also has 15 touchbacks on 41 career kickoffs.

Rayner became a free agent for 2008 when his San Diego contract expired with no qualifying offer. He was signed and later released by Miami in June, and signed with Detroit on Aug. 9. He played in preseason games two and three with Detroit, going seven-for-eight on field goals and five-for-five on PATs. He was released by the Lions on Aug. 26.

Waived FB Reagan Mauia, second-year player from Hawaii. Mauia signed with the Bengals as a free agent on Sept. 3. He was inactive for Games 1-2 and 5, and started at FB in Games 3-4 (no statistics).

Lions Release Five Players

Sean Yuille — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:54:21 -0000

To get their roster down to 75 players, the Lions released 5 members of the team today. Center Carroll Madison, defensive end Claude Harriott, linebacker Tyrone Pruitt, defensive back Stephen Howell, and kicker Dave Rayner were the 5 let go.

The most notable of the 5 players released is Dave Rayner. With him being let go, we now know that Jason Hanson is ready to come back and be the full time kicker again. That is great news for both Hanson and the Lions, and Rayner will benefit from being released in the first round of cuts. This gives him an extra few days to get things in order as teams will likely show interest in signing him since he played well while on the Lions.