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possible kicker for us?

haraldjun

By haraldjun
in The Stadium

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haraldjun

haraldjun

Posted
Posted

That was in the game Report on Nfl.com about the rookie kicker from Detroit:

An undrafted rookie from Central Florida, Prater has no chance of beating out Jason Hanson, Detroit's all-time scoring leader and one of the NFL's most consistent kickers for the past 14 seasons. However, Prater's strong kicking could land him a job elsewhere, or force the Lions to keep him around.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli said he's considering keeping two kickers.

"He was a beast," Marinelli said. "He did a great job tonight."

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20060818_DET@CLE

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DWinzit

DWinzit

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I have never been convinced by Hall, especially after all the injuries. He seems good inside of forty. The problem is there are so many opportunities outside of forty, plus he's lousy on kick offs.

I don't see this guy being the guy who takes Halls spot from him.

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Brave

Brave

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I am fairly comfortable with Hall as he will make most of the short-mid range FGs, which means you don't make too many trips to the red zone without coming away with at least 3 points.

I have grown weary, however, of seeing kickoffs being fielded between the 10 and 15 yard line. I'm sure that leads to a fair amount of points for our opponents over the course of a season. It's a good thing our defense has been good enough to overcome the field position disadvantage.

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ouvan59

ouvan59

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If the doctors are correct then Hall is no longer an injury risk. He had a tendon that was torn away from the bone which was causing all the pulled muscles. The surgery he had supposedly cured the problem. Leg strength is only a problem for him if he has the muscle issues. Both the FGs he missed in the scrimmage would have been long enough for 55+ yard kicks. If he stays healthy he is a very good kicker.

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Rex Tomb

Rex Tomb

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Both the FGs he missed in the scrimmage would have been long enough for 55+ yard kicks.

And the encouraging thing is he had the distance by several extra yards...they were just pulled to the left, something he correct with more practice I think.

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doubledeuce

doubledeuce

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more info on prater from http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=398&season=8

College Central Florida

NFL Experience R

Height 5-10

Weight 175

Birthdate August 10, 1984

Hometown Estero, Fla.

How Acquired Undrafted FA '06

• Hit 56-of-58 point after attempts at Estero H.S. (Fla.).

• Booted 14 career field goals, with a long of 49 yards.

• Put 84-percent of his kickoffs in the end zone.

• Named second team all-state, first team all-conference and all-Southwest Florida.

• Second team “Dream Team."

• Majored in psychology.

• Finished his career as one of the school's all-time leaders in field goals and scoring.

• Tied for first in school history with 50 field goals and is fourth all-time in scoring with 258 points.

• Made 50 of 74 field goal attempts over his four-year career, including a long of 53 yards.

• Was a four-year starter for the Golden Knights and played in 46 games.

and from http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006605080352

Prater enthuses Lions in camp

Estero graduate may be backup for injured starting kicker Hanson

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Estero High School graduate and Central Florida product Matt Prater isn't harboring any notion of replacing Detroit Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson, a 14-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowler.

But he'd like to make Hanson's load a little lighter. Hanson will turn 36 in June and is coming off a hamstring injury, the first of his career. With Prater in mini-camp, the Lions hoped to keep Hanson healthy while training his understudy — just in case.

"Jason hasn't lost much, but last year he was injured for the first time in his career and missed two and a half to three games," Detroit special-teams coach Chuck Priefer said. "We wanted to make sure we had a kid in here that was capable of kicking in the league. After the mini-camp, I'm very pleased."

Prater just completed a three-day rookie mini-camp at the Lions' practice facility in Allen Park, Mich.

"I'm learning a lot of tricks I didn't know about, a lot of new things to learn to improve my skills," Prater said. "It was tough, but coach Priefer's made it easy for me, just being easy on me and telling me what I need to do, what he expects. I'm trying to be as coachable as I can because I know he's been here for a while. He knows what he's talking about and I can learn a lot from him to improve my skills."

Lions coaches may come and go, but Priefer has been a mainstay on the staff. He's entering his 10th season with Detroit.

Hanson is also a longtime Lion, having been with the team since he was drafted out of Washington in 1992.

"I've definitely heard of him," Prater said of Hanson. "I'm looking forward to meeting him and I can definitely learn a lot from him, too."

The Lions looked at 16 place-kickers before the draft. Priefer sent special-teams assistant Stan Kwan to work Prater out. Kwan returned with a good report on the 21-year-old.

"The thing that impressed us most was his leg strength," Priefer said.

"He kicked off very well in Florida. He had a good season with field goals. He has a very good demeanor. I coached with his college coach at Georgia Tech and George O'Leary had nothing but good things to say about him."

All the rookies at the mini-camp were overwhelmed with information. With kickers, it can be even more difficult because their normal routine is not there.

Priefer said there's an adjustment period.

"He's had a pretty good camp, struggled a little with field goals," he said. "It's a new ball, new holder, new snapper. I'm excited about having him here. He can compete with Jason and learn. That's a good selling point, having a guy like Jason to learn from."

Most successful NFL kickers have a very specific routine that allows them to be consistent. That routine includes careful positioning of the body.

"Just minor things like adjusting on field goals, turning the left shoulder in, locking my ankle out, little, minor details to perfect it because everything has to be so exact or else you'll screw up in the end," Prater said.

There is another advantage to kicking for the Lions — there's no fighting the weather at Detroit's Ford Field, which has a dome. Their practice facility has indoor and outdoor fields.

"It's a lot easier without the elements. I've been kicking in Florida, where it's all windy, humid, raining, so it's nice to come and kick indoors," Prater said. "Right now, I'm just trying to work on consistency and making everything I can."

Now that mini-camp is over, Prater has until May 16 before he has to return to Detroit. He plans to visit his parents and may end up trying out some of his new skills at Estero High.

He has remained in contact with his coach at Estero, Bill Swats, who is now an assistant at Riverdale.

"He called me before the draft, asked who was talking to me, who worked me out," Prater said. "I told him that I was actually hoping to come to Detroit because it's a pretty good situation where I could learn a lot, try to improve myself as much as I can and have a career in the NFL."

With Hanson already established in Detroit, Prater knows he isn't likely to unseat him. But he can learn from him and Priefer in training camp and the preseason. Plus, you never know who's watching.

"Going into camp, he's not going to beat out Jason," Priefer said. "But he's going to get a lot more work than a normal-work guy. Jason's almost 36. He's still a good kicker. Our job is to monitor his kicks in training camp.

"Matt will kick in preseason games. If something ever happened to Jason, we'll turn to him. Plus, all the other teams will get to see him. Every team watches film of every other team. Most kickers in this league make it, to be honest with you. They bounce around. Rarely do they make it the first year out."

my guess is the lions value him too much to let him go...

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bulldog

bulldog

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but what was left unsaid is that the first team rarely keeps that young kicker as an expensive 53rd player, usually they make it with their second or even third NFL clubs :)

I doubt the Lions are going to keep 2 kickers and a punter on their regular season roster from Game 1 unless Jason Hansen is out with a short-term injury.

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jimster

jimster

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You mean like he has the last few years due to injury? :doh:

Hall makes me as nervous as when we had Ola Kimrin as our kicker.

By the way Gibbs has been talking, it sounds like Frost will be our punter and kick off guy, and Hall the goal kicker only, ala Jeff Hayes, Mark Mosley.

All of Hall's injuries the last 2 years have been results of him tackling people on kick-offs. - Hope fully this will solve that problem.

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memrc

memrc

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Posted
By the way Gibbs has been talking, it sounds like Frost will be our punter and kick off guy, and Hall the goal kicker only, ala Jeff Hayes, Mark Mosley.

All of Hall's injuries the last 2 years have been results of him tackling people on kick-offs. - Hope fully this will solve that problem.

Did you see Frost on kick offs last game? The guy doesn’t have a leg at all.

He’s walking on nubs. :laugh:

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Stew

Stew

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I think Hall is easily one of the weakest links on the team (if you want to get right down to it, ALL special teams is an eyesore right now) All of the Hall lovers will be eating crow mid-season when we hear that his injury isnt fully healed. Only he wont have tackling anyone as his excuse this year. We can only score field goals if they are 40 yds out or closer this season. Id have more faith with our QB trying to punt the ball through the uprights like Flutie did last year.

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skinz4evr

skinz4evr

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DUMP HALL HE CAN'T KICKOFF. Why keep a guy who misses alot of field goals AND can't even kickoff without getting hurt? They're taking up an extra roster spot for a guy who is a rehab warrior but can't kickoff or stay on the field, and all he does is kick 2 or 3 field goals a game....Plus, he can't even kickoff. I hope I eat these words and he proves me wrong, but if we get the same Hall as we have the last couple of years we are in trouble.

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