Tag: Chris Naggar

Cowboys sign kicker; competition for Zuerlein?

SMU product Chris Naggar spent time with the Jets and Browns last season; the Cowboys have signed him to a futures contract for 2022. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have taken an early offseason step toward addressing one of 2021’s trouble spots.

Chris Naggar, a kicker out of SMU, has been signed by the team to a futures contract for 2022. His addition should send an obvious signal to veteran Greg Zuerlein that he’ll have some competition heading into next season. Zuerlein was a sixth-round draft pick by the Rams in 2012 and was the league points leader and a Pro Bowler in 2017, but he struggled in his second year with the Cowboys.

Naggar, 24, was a punter at Texas before transferring to SMU and moving to full-time placekicking. As a senior with the Mustangs, Naggar went 17-for-21 on field goals and 43-of-46 on extra points to lead the conference in accuracy. He went undrafted last year, but spent part of training camp with the Jets.

Cleveland signed him just before the season; he did not play in the Browns’ Week 1 game and was then moved back to the practice squad. Late in the season, he made the active roster again as a COVID replacement, kicking a 37-yard field goal and going 1-of-2 on PATs on Christmas Day versus the Packers. He was released by the team a few days later.

For the Cowboys, Naggar will be expected to push the squad’s 10-year veteran for a job. Zuerlein was 83% on field goals in 2021 and missed six PATs, the most in his career. He missed a field goal in three of the Cowboys’ five regular-season losses; those games- against Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, and Arizona- were decided by three points or less.

Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel defended his longtime kicker all year, but finally admitted last month that missing the offseason (due to back surgery) had affected Zuerlein throughout the ’21 campaign.

“I think it is psychological,” Fassel told reporters.

The coach also talked about being able to recognize when a kicker- for whatever reason- simply no longer has the goods to deliver on gameday.

“There might come a time where, yeah, he doesn’t get it back. But this time isn’t now,” Fassel said. “I love Greg, and I believe in Greg, and I’m not supporting him just because of my experience over the last 10 years. This is a production business, and when we stop producing, things change. But I just have full faith in Greg. I do, and if I’m wrong, then I’ll be wrong. But [I] just really think that I’m going to be right. I guess we’ll see.”

Naggar could help bring some clarity to that evaluation process.

[listicle id=691927]

[listicle id=692806]

[listicle id=692728]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Browns kicking job up for grabs between three kickers on roster

The Browns currently have two kickers on the practice squad and one on the COVID list. A kicking competition seems likely in advance of Monday Night Football:

The Cleveland Browns 2021 NFL season is far from settled at this point. While they do not control their own playoff destiny, they could by the time Monday Night Football kicks off. They also could be eliminated from playoff contention by the start of their next game.

It isn’t just the playoffs that are unsettled for the Browns. Their roster has been in constant flux due to injuries, poor performance and COVID-19 protocols. Both COVID and poor performance has directly impacted the team’s specialist.

Jamie Gillan was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list which led to the team signing Dustin Colquitt. Colquitt did such a good job that Gillan was released when he was eligible to come off the COVID list.

Kicker Chase McLaughlin has had his struggles this year as well and was also placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week. His replacement came off the team’s practice squad but Chris Naggar missed an extra point early in the team’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.

With McLaughlin still on the COVID list and Naggar’s performance Saturday, the team worked out three kickers Wednesday. They ended up signing Chris Blewitt to their practice squad.

While talking to the media Thursday, head coach Kevin Stefanski hinted at a kicking competition:

With McLaughlin still not able to practice, that competition is between Naggar and Blewitt. If McLaughlin is activated, it is possible that the team releases one of those two from the practice squad. It is also possible, like Gillan, that McLaughlin is released after being activated.

Right now, a lot is up in the air in Cleveland including who will be responsible for kickoffs, extra points and field goals. The Browns have been seeking consistency in that role since Phil Dawson’s time with the team.

Browns sign K Chris Blewitt to practice squad, place QB Nick Mullens on COVID list

After Chris Naggar blew an extra point last week, Chris Blewitt was added to the practice squad this week while Nick Mullens was placed on the COVID-19 list:

With kickerChase McLaughlin on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Cleveland Browns turned to practice squad kicker Chris Naggar against the Green Bay Packers. The result was not positive as Naggar missed his first extra-point try forcing the team to go for two points after their following touchdown, which also failed.

Naggar did make a 37-yard field goal and an extra point later in the game.

With McLaughlin still on the COVID list, the team announced Wednesday that they added kicker Chris Blewitt to their practice squad. According to the team’s media release, Blewitt has only made two of his five field goal attempts in the NFL while making both of his extra points.

The team tried out kickers Robert Aguayo and Chandler Catanzaro today, along with Blewitt.

A practice squad roster spot was available as the team placed quarterback Nick Mullens on the practice squad/COVID-19 list on Wednesday as well.

Mullens started for Cleveland against the Las Vegas Raiders when both Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum were on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Blewitt could be elevated to the Browns active roster in time for Monday Night Football if McLaughlin isn’t available and the new kicker is deemed better than Naggar this week.

Chase McLaughlin will continue as Browns kicker

Despite Chase missing field goals in 4 of their last 5 games and 5 of the last 7, Stefanski said they are sticking with him and no plans to bring in competition for workouts:

The Cleveland Browns have had a ton of changes to their roster throughout the season. Mostly due to injuries and a churning of the bottom of the roster, general manager Andrew Berry has not been shy about making moves. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has also fiddled with their personnel groupings on the field to try to find the best fit.

One change that is not coming is at kicker. Despite Chase McLaughlin missing a field goal in four of the last five games (the fifth game the team didn’t attempt a field goal), Stefanski noted that he would not be replaced. He also noted that there were no plans to bring in any kickers for workouts either.

For the year, McLaughlin has made 15 of 20 field goals and 29 of 30 extra points. All five of his misses are between 40 and 49 yards in length but he is 4 of 4 on those of 50 yards or longer.

With a small margin for error over the last four games of the season, the Browns need everyone playing at their best. While Stefanski said they are sticking with McLaughlin, the team could look to bring up Chris Naggar from the practice squad if McLaughlin’s struggles continue.

Browns elevate PK Chris Naggar, LB Elijah Lee from practice squad for Week 1

Kicker Chase McLaughlin is questionable so Naggar provides a backup plan

The Browns haven’t even played a single regular season game yet, but Cleveland is already on its third kicker due to injuries.

Due to the injury to placekicker Chase McLaughlin, the Browns have elevated PK Chris Naggar from the practice squad for the Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns also elevated LB Elijah Lee from the practice squad.

McLaughlin remains questionable with his hamstring injury, so elevating Naggar makes sense as an emergency backup option. Lee figures to get any of his action on special teams. The Browns, like all NFL teams, are permitted to call up two extra players from the practice squad without penalty.

Naggar is next in line after McLaughlin, who is already the injury replacement for Cody Parkey. The Browns placed Parkey on I.R. before the season.

[lawrence-related id=64036]

Watch: Browns practice squad kicker shows off booming leg

Watch the Browns new practice squad kicker boom a 71-yarder:

While the Cleveland Browns have set their 53-man roster, at least for the time being, with LB Jacob Phillips going on injured reserve and DE Joe Jackson re-signing with the team, the practice squad has continued to have moves.

After initially adding 11 players, including 10 that were returning after being let go during final roster cutdowns, the Browns have been piecing together their practice squad. Two positions that are almost required on that squad are quarterback and kicker. This is especially true with the realities of COVID-19 testing and how quickly a team could be without a player at one of those positions.

Despite punter Jamie Gillan being able to be an emergency kicker, the Browns added Chris Naggar to their practice squad yesterday. A mostly unknown name, Naggar showed up off in the below video by nailing a 71-yard field goal off a tee:

 

In a real game, the kicker has to worry about the snap, hold and oncoming defenders. All of those variables can make it difficult to hit kicks of this kind of length but it is good to know that Cleveland’s backup kicker has good range.

Jets release Sam Ficken, bring in another inexperienced kicker

Kicker Sam Ficken struggled in camp prior to his release. Matt Ammendola will take his place on the roster and compete with Chris Naggar.

Jets training camp is underway, which naturally means the kicking carousel has begun to rotate in Florham Park.

But Sam Ficken’s ride with the Jets came to a halt on Friday, as the 28-year-old was cut. Ficken struggled over the spring and in the early days of training camp, including two misses from 50-plus yards in the practice prior to his release, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.

Rather than keep Ficken, who only made 76.2% of his field goals and 85.4% of his extra points in 24 games with the Jets, New York signed Matt Ammendola. An undrafted kicker out of Oklahoma State in 2020, Ammendola has yet to appear in an NFL game after spending time with the Panthers earlier this offseason. Carolina cut him on May 16.

Ammendola hit 76.9% of his field goals and 97.8% of his extra points in college. He ranked third among all active FBS players with 359 career points by the time his college career ended.

Now Ammendola will get a chance to compete with another unseasoned kicker. Chris Naggar, a 2021 non-draftee out of SMU, is the only other kicker on New York’s roster, for now anyway. We’ll see if either legman gives the Jets a reason not to pursue someone with more experience.

[listicle id=659942]

Arrival of UDFA Chris Naggar means another Jets kicking competition

The addition of undrafted free agent kicker Chris Naggar means that Sam Ficken and Chase McLaughlin will have some competition this summer.

The addition of Chris Naggar points to competition on the horizon for incumbent Jets kickers Sam Ficken and Chase McLaughlin.

New York did little to address the kicking position this offseason after Ficken hardly did enough to inspire confidence going forward. In nine games last season, Ficken made 13-15 field goal attempts while going 12-15 on extra-points. The Jets elected to waive Ficken in favor of McLaughlin after the 28-year-old missed a field goal and extra point in New York’s 23-16 win over the Browns in Week 16.

McLaughlin, a journeyman as well, went 2-2 on extra-point attempts for the Jets last year but did not attempt a field goal with New York. He made 4-5 field goals in three games with the Jaguars earlier in the season.

Neither he nor Ficken locked the position down. That’s where Naggar comes into play.

The undrafted free agent out of SMU has a chance to change New York’s inconsistencies in the kicking game. Naggar converted 17-21 field goals, 43-46 extra points and averaged 39.3 yards per punt on 29 attempts for the Mustangs last season. New York is set at the punter position with Braden Mann, but in any event, Naggar has significant leg power.

Naggar was named The American Athletic Conference’s Special Teams Player of the year for his performance this past season. Additionally, he was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza National Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.

While he may be an undrafted free agent, Naggar has a chance to shake up New York’s kicking competition this summer. Especially when considering that Gang Green has not gotten enough stability from the position since Nick Folk was a member of the team.

[listicle id=659795]