Bengals brilliant in taking Kicker Elliot over Gonzalez

[Derrick]

(04-29-2017, 03:59 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: So is Elliott decent? I only knew about Gonzalez before the draft.

Me too. Maybe the article below will shed some light on this pick for us.
2017 NFL Draft results: Cincinnati Bengals pick Memphis kicker Jake Elliott in Round 5:


With the 153rd pick in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals have selected Memphis kicker, Jake Elliott. He was one of the most talented placekickers in this year’s draft class.
Elliott was the first kicker off of the board in the draft, and is known as being highly-accurate on his kicks with a decent leg on kickoffs as well.

Though the value of the position isn’t that high in NFL circles, kicker was seen as one of the Bengals’ biggest positions of need this season. This pick comes with Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez still on the board. Gonzalez was expected to be the first kicker selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, but, he’s sliding down as Elliott was selected first.

Though Elliott had a career 77.9 percentage on field goals in his career, he finished 202-of-202 on extra point tries. This was a huge area of focus for the team this offseason after Mike Nugent struggled through most of last season.

Elliott was a four-year starter with the Tigers, and was a Lou Groza finalist often as a collegian, which honors the nation’s best kicker. While the career numbers on field goals being under 80 percent is cause for concern, Elliott never missed a field goal from 30 yards or shorter in college and hit kicks from 40 yards or under at an 80 percent clip.

Gonzalez was another high-profile option at the position, but the selection of Elliott makes a lot of sense for the Bengals. After Nugent missed many critical kicks in 2016, the team brought in Randy Bullock, only to see him miss a potential game-winning kick against the Texans on Christmas Eve. [update-- miscommunication on delayed snap]

Bullock was re-signed this offseason, but even so, Bengals’ Director of Player Personnel, Duke Tobin, noted the need for the team to “find the next Justin Tucker” while at the NFL Combine. It remains to be seen if Elliott is that guy, but he’ll be competing for the 2017 kicking job with Bullock and Jonathan Brown.

Elliott now has the upperhand to become the Bengals’ kicker in 2017 and beyond and hopefully will ensure the Bengals don’t lose any games due to the kicking position, as was too often the case in 2016.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Thanks Derrick, liking the pick much more the more i know.

Knew these people acting like it was a terrible pick once again don't know what they are talking about.

Should just write it down. Pick, here comes the ***** cause it wasn't exactly what they wanted.

I bet if they got what they wanted they would still *****.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(04-29-2017, 04:14 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Hmmm, gotta trust Simmons i guess. You would think we would of got a Kicker with a bigger leg with more talent
if they wanted to use a pick on a Kicker. Sounds like our only bad pick so far. Bullock likes it though lol

I suppose so... but I would also like to point out that Simmons looked at Mike Nugent for the last handful of years and said "yup, this is good".

[fredtoast]

(04-29-2017, 04:02 PM)BoBengal Wrote: It's sad because we could have used/traded that pick for a true contributor.  There's a high chance that NO ONE would have drafted him.  He could have competed for basically free as an undrafted free agent.

My crystal ball tells me Bullock wins the kicking competition for next season.  He did well for us, only missing the one kick that we later found out was due to a poorly communicated timing-change for the delayed snap count.

(04-29-2017, 04:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Whether this guy is a good kicker or not...we could have likely drafted him in the 7th Round.

(04-29-2017, 04:30 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yep. IF we wanted this guy...we could have got him in the 6th or 7th Round and taken other contributors.

You never know if this is true or not.  If the Bengals had him ranked this high then there is a good chance another NFL team would also have him rated this high.


I just think it is funny that when a player is taken higher than all the "experts" predict the team is accused of "reaching", but when a guy is ndrafted much later than all the "experts" predict no one ever claims that all 32 teams were wrong and the "experts" were correct.

[wolfkaosaun]

We needed a kicker and got a guy with a big leg. Like the pick. Add competition and let them fight for the spot to be kicker.

[*jason*]

(04-29-2017, 04:20 PM)BoBengal Wrote: His kickoffs are very weak.  If you watched the game when he made the long FG-- he had about a 20 mph wind at his back.  

Anything outside of 44-45 yards will be "iffy at best" for him.

Sounds like he will thrive in our kicking system.

[TKUHL]

I wanted a kicker but i think this could have waited. Im not very happy about any of the picks today other than Lawson. If you would have asked anyone halfway threw the season what this team needed most im sure everyone would have said O line. We had a record low amount of O line players taken in the first 3 rounds, I know it because the talent sucks this year but we should have started picking O line players after Lawson. The kicker, backup DT and 2nd wr of the draft could have waited. The C from WV was still there, Toth, heck even Roullier. I would have been fine with any of them. Another position that would have been nice is TE. We had the amount of picks and the perfect situation to pick a guy like Butt to sit and heal for the year. Im just frustrated with todays selections.

[BonnieBengal]

(04-29-2017, 05:04 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I suppose so... but I would also like to point out that Simmons looked at Mike Nugent for the last handful of years and said "yup, this is good".

That may have been a Mike Brown thing.  

[jfkbengals]

(04-29-2017, 05:07 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You never know if this is true or not.  If the Bengals had him ranked this high then there is a good chance another NFL team would also have him rated this high.


I just think it is funny that when a player is taken higher than all the "experts" predict the team is accused of "reaching", but when a guy is ndrafted much later than all the "experts" predict no one ever claims that all 32 teams were wrong and the "experts" were correct.

That's not entirely true.  The experts often play the medical or character cards at that point, stating it is purely because the expert doesn't have access to the doctors or background research, but continue to state that the player would still be a round X pick otherwise.

[CanadianBengal]

(04-29-2017, 04:20 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: Agreed.  Maybe there was something about Gonzalez they didn't like...who knows.  I trust their judgment. 

Based on our kicking game the last few years I don't trust their judgement. Hasn't been an area of strength for this team. 

[CanadianBengal]

(04-29-2017, 05:07 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You never know if this is true or not.  If the Bengals had him ranked this high then there is a good chance another NFL team would also have him rated this high.


I just think it is funny that when a player is taken higher than all the "experts" predict the team is accused of "reaching", but when a guy is ndrafted much later than all the "experts" predict no one ever claims that all 32 teams were wrong and the "experts" were correct.

Actually that is not true at all. When a player is drafted later than projected it's called a steal and the "experts" give you a higher rating. Wait and see how much praise is heaped on them for the Willis and Lawson picks. 

[Luvnit2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMb3ulpVlss

Check him out

[BonnieBengal]

(04-29-2017, 07:14 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMb3ulpVlss

Check him out

Looks good to me

[Bengalmaniac]

(04-29-2017, 07:14 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMb3ulpVlss

Check him out

That was an impressive workout! That should erase anyone's doubts about his leg strength. Like the one-handed sliding grab of the onside kick too, shows his athleticism. 

[bengal kitten uk]

That video is insane. He was nailing them from 65 yards and looked like he had another 5-10 yards left. I'm glad we took a kicker and glad Simmons got his first choice. Great pick!

[CJD]

(04-29-2017, 07:14 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMb3ulpVlss

Check him out

Yep. 

That leg looks just fine. I'll take making a 60+  yard field goal any day. 

[Shake n Blake]

(04-29-2017, 04:20 PM)BoBengal Wrote: His kickoffs are very weak.  If you watched the game when he made the long FG-- he had about a 20 mph wind at his back.  

Anything outside of 44-45 yards will be "iffy at best" for him.

I read that he had the 5 longest kicks in school history, all over 50 yards. Was the wind at his back each time? Just trying to be fair here.

(04-29-2017, 05:07 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You never know if this is true or not.  If the Bengals had him ranked this high then there is a good chance another NFL team would also have him rated this high.


I just think it is funny that when a player is taken higher than all the "experts" predict the team is accused of "reaching", but when a guy is ndrafted much later than all the "experts" predict no one ever claims that all 32 teams were wrong and the "experts" were correct.

Agreed big time. We always say a player was a great value when he "slips", but there's no way to prove that a team actually reached. It's always possible some team right behind us was going to nab him. We'll never know.

[magikod]

I just wish we would have taken him in the 7th round...

[*SHRacerX*]

(04-29-2017, 04:02 PM)BoBengal Wrote: It's sad because we could have used/traded that pick for a true contributor.  There's a high chance that NO ONE would have drafted him.  He could have competed for basically free as an undrafted free agent.

My crystal ball tells me Bullock wins the kicking competition for next season.  He did well for us, only missing the one kick that we later found out was due to a poorly communicated timing-change for the delayed snap count.

Ironically, that missed kick saved us multiple draft slots and I think Buffalo would have taken Ross instead...so I am glad he missed.

[Thefinalcut813]

About a minute into this video Darrin Simmons talks about the kicker controversy over Gonzalez.


http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/17-Draft-News-Conference-Rd-5--6/09a4d247-6795-4720-9a5b-4b17a8b9ad81