SB Nation User Blog: Arturo Bandini

It looks as though we might have been wrong in our evaluation of the Broncos.

Arturo Bandini — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:58:18 -0000

It looks as though we might have been wrong in our evaluation of the Broncos.

The Kicking Battle: Hartley vs Prater

Arturo Bandini — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:12:34 -0000

Although I originally posted this in HT's positional upgrade article, I felt it was worth improving and moving so people can get a better feel for the past performance of the kickers dueling to be the new Denver Broncos' kicker in '08.

My personal feeling is that with the loss of Jason Elam, the FG kicking unit of Special Teams took a definite step back (at least in terms of its ability to inspire confidence in the field players---see Champ's comments); however, I do believe that no matter who wins the upcoming roster slot, Prater or Hartley, we’re better off in the field position game, and one roster spot better (to use for O-Line perhaps?) by not having to carry the dreaded kicking specialist. So, in a way, it’s a net gain. Though I must admit that in doing this write-up I was swayed somewhat by Guru’s excellent archived piece on Elam. That said, I still think a clutch kicker is extremely difficult to replace, and few things can kill a team’s confidence quite like a terrible kicking blunder, much less consistently terrible kicking blunders.

Now, as far as the battle for the roster spot in concerned, I don’t have much confidence in Prater, to be honest. I just don't get the feeling that he has quite the same level of confidence that Hartley exudes---the kind of confidence that can inspire teammates into feeling that their hard work will be rewarded when they put the kicker in a position to succeed.

It's worth noting here that if Prater does snag the job, I hope he does well. I will support whoever wins the battle so long as he is a Denver Bronco. However, my personal hope at this stage is that Hartley steps up and wins it. That said, I was a bit confused by statement regarding Hartley's college performance in HT's aforementioned thread:

We have Prater and Garrett Hartley deuling it out for our FG kicker and netiher did well in college.

Hartley didn’t do well in college? Shoot, BroncoBilly, I trust you because I don’t watch too much college FB these days, but Hartley’s senior season stats seem to be decent:

FG: 13/15 (0/0 from 1-19, 6/6 from 20-29, 4/6 from 30-39, 2/2 from 40-49, and 1/1 from 50+); Pct: .867; Long: 53. I believe one of those misses was blocked. PATs: 71/74; Pct. .959.

Granted, it’s college and he didn’t kick many FGs, but his PCT was better than every Bronco PCT season between ‘89 & ‘96 with Treadwell and Elam (see Guru’s above linked article). All in all, it seems a decent stat line for a team that hardly kicked FGs and kicked a ton of PATs. Yet, we all know how important mental toughness is to the kicking position. So, how did Hartley do in big games when the season was on the line?

Clutch indicators:

1/1 FG (Long 26) and 5/5 PATs in the Big 12 Championship game against Mizzou, and 3/3 FG (Long 42) and 1/1 PAT in the Fiesta Bowl against WVU.

Full Stats for Collegiate Career (from ESPN.com):

Kicking Stats
YEAR	TEAM	G	FGM	FGA	PCT	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	LNG	XPM	XPA	PTS
2004	OKLA	0	1	1	100.0	0-0	1-1	0-0	0-0	0-0	29	12	12	15
2005	OKLA	0	14	22	63.6	0-0	5-5	4-7	3-7	2-3	52	37	38	79
2006	OKLA	0	19	20	95.0	0-0	8-8	7-7	4-5	0-0	46	49	50	106
2007	OKLA	0	13	15	86.7	0-0	6-6	4-6	2-2	1-1	53	71	74	110

So, how do Prater’s college numbers compare directly to Hartley's?

The above image comes from a Prater story on the DPO by Jim Armstrong. As you can see the PCT is dismal when compared to Treadwell's and Elam's numbers. Also, it is worth noting that Prater played in zero bowl games, and as such, his clutch rating is not nearly as quantifiable as Hartley's.

Now, I do agree with what has been said previously on the site regarding some college players transitioning very well into the NFL after having subpar holders/offensive lines/field qualities/conditions/et cetera. (Adam Vinatieri was a named example.) Yet, I think that a big game mentality is still measurable through performance in big games, and Hartley has that. In the big games, he was perfect, and that has to count for something, particularly with Mike Shanahan.

EDGE:

Although it is Matt Prater's job to lose at this point, Garrett Hartley may already have a leg up on the incumbent due to his big game performances.

Poll

Who would you rather see win the '08 kicking job on a permanent basis?

Shanahan doesn't like Bill Williamson either

Arturo Bandini — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:21:05 -0000

Shanahan doesn't like Bill Williamson either

May 24, 2008 4:21 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The ESPN.com NFL power rankings served as a nice talker during a slow time in May. At least, that was the goal.

Apparently, the power rankings also served as motivation for at least one NFL team. Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan read the rankings and duly noted that his Broncos were ranked No. 23. Shanahan sees it as a good sign.

I know one thing about Shanahan after covering him for the past four years. He looks for anything to motivate his team. This is a man who piped in the words of former Broncos running back Clinton Portis in the team's locker room all week leading up to a game against the Redskins. So, it's no surprise that Shanahan, coming off the second losing season in 13 years in Denver, has taken noticed of his team's low ranking, even three-plus months prior to the season. He doesn't miss any chances to rally the troops.

Hedge-fund boss bilked big-name Broncos

Arturo Bandini — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:19:21 -0000

Hedge-fund boss bilked big-name Broncos

May 25, 2008 8:28 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The jailhouse suicide of convicted hedge-fund boss Kirk Wright is being noticed in Denver.

Wright's case in Atlanta was familiar in the Rocky Mountains because Wright was guilty of bilking key Broncos out of money. The players affected by Wright included former Broncos' stars Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis and receiver Rod Smith, who recently went on the reserve/retired list.

Alexander falling off Denver's radar

Arturo Bandini — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:17:51 -0000

Alexander falling off Denver's radar

May 25, 2008 2:18 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

All has been quiet on the Shaun Alexander front recently and it could remain that way.

At least one team that has been mentioned as a potential suitor is moving away from the idea of bringing in Alexander. According to a Denver source, the former Seattle star running back is not on the Broncos' radar at this point although the notion isn't 100 percent dead.

Denver had one conversation with Alexander's agent a few weeks ago. The Broncos considered bringing in Alexander for a visit but backed off the idea. Because the Broncos are close to budget for this season and they are satisfied with their tailback crew, they likely won't change their mind about Alexander unless there is an injury. Alexander may have to wait for any team to suffer an injury before getting signed.

Rookie Contract Progress, A Few Q's

Arturo Bandini — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:47:18 -0000

I noticed the other day that the Miami Dolphins were almost done with signing all their drafted rookies, which has to be some kind of record. That said--and perhaps I've just not seen the news on this--how is the team coming along with signing its drafted players? I figure MattR may well know all this, but I had to ask out of sheer curiosity.

And in the interest of making this post seventy-five words long:

Forgive me if I missed this, but were all drafted players accounted for at the first week of QB Camp?
If so, does the presence of unsigned players at QB Camp indicate team-first players, good faith, and a willingness to get going, or am I reading too much into this?

Denver Broncos on the CBA (NFL.com Video)

Arturo Bandini — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:51:33 -0000

Denver Broncos on the CBA (NFL.com Video)

Veterans John Lynch and Domonique Foxworth discuss owners opting out of CBA.

Marcus Thomas is thrilled the state attorney's office in Florida has decided not to pursue felony...

Arturo Bandini — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:21:58 -0000

Marcus Thomas is thrilled the state attorney's office in Florida has decided not to pursue felony cocaine possession charges against him. Yet, the troubled former Florida star and current Denver Broncos' starting defensive tackle knows the court of public opinion is a different story.

"I know people are probably thinking that it's one thing after another with this guy," Thomas said Saturday. "I don't blame them. But I have to go show that that I am staying out of trouble and that I can be a productive player. That will be the only way to show people that I mean business."

Denver took Thomas in the fourth round of the 2007 draft after he was dismissed from the eventual BCS champion Florida Gator 2006 team after testing positive for marijuana use several times. Thomas stayed out of trouble as a rookie but he was arrested near his Jacksonville home in March for drug possession.

However, charges were dropped and then pursued against the driver of the vehicle Thomas was a passenger in. Both Thomas and the driver told arresting officers that the drugs, found in a compartment in between the driver and passenger seats in the driver's truck, were not in Thomas' possession.

"I know I didn't go anything wrong, but still it's not good," Thomas said. "I'm just glad I have the support of coach (Mike) Shanahan. I have to show him it's worth supporting me."

The Broncos took Thomas because they thought he had first-round talent and he became a starter during the season.

Hashmarks, posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson on May 10, 2008 6:40 PM.

Schefter & Shanahan Chat (NFLN Video)

Arturo Bandini — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:24:31 -0000

Schefter & Shanahan Chat (NFLN Video)

Shanahan's thoughts on Jay's diagnosis, the Broncos, the summer, and the upcoming season.

Broncos 2008 Outlook (NFLN Video)

Arturo Bandini — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:20:11 -0000

Broncos 2008 Outlook (NFLN Video)

Solomon Wilcots with a realistic, yet positive, perspective on the Broncs heading into the '08 season. It isn't the most in-depth, but it's nice to see a national media outlet doing something other than dumping on Denver.