Tag: Mason Crosby

Rich Bisaccia talks Mason Crosby, working with another Carlson

Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia won’t rule out a return for Mason Crosby, but his focus is on developing rookie Anders Carlson.

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In the midst of transitioning away from their franchise quarterback, the Green Bay Packers are also transitioning away from their franchise kicker.

Maybe.

Back for his second season as the special teams coordinator, Rich Bisaccia wouldn’t rule out a return for Mason Crosby during a press conference on Tuesday.

“I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great kickers in my time in the league, and he’s one of them. We’re still in conversation. I think Brian (Gutekunst) has spoken that the door’s not closed, and he’s not on anybody’s team yet,” said Bisaccia.

“I still think there’s play in Mason and we’ll see what the future holds.”

For the time being, Bisaccia is correct. Crosby is unsigned, but his 16 years of experience and 11th overall ranking on the NFL’s all-time scoring list make one think he could be snatched up at any moment. The Packers, meanwhile, are trying to get younger at several positions, which may include kicker.

At 38 years of age, Crosby showed he can still be consistent last season, connecting on 86.2 percent of his field goals. The only issue is a kicker of his status requires a respectable salary that Green Bay may not be willing to pay.

So, in search of a younger, cheaper option, Gutekunst selected Anders Carlson in the sixth round out of Auburn. Some might say spending a draft pick on a kicker isn’t very astute. Those same people forget Crosby was a former sixth-round pick himself or may not be aware of Bisaccia’s rapport with Carlson that dates back well before he was drafted by Green Bay.

For a very brief time (less than a month in fact), Bisaccia was a special teams coach, running backs coach, and assistant head coach at Auburn. His first home visit was to the Carlson household, where he recruited Anders’ older brother, Daniel, to kick for the Tigers. The two were later reunited in Las Vegas after Daniel was cut by the Minnesota Vikings.

From 2018-21, Bisaccia helped resurrect Daniel’s career so he could become an All-Pro for the Raiders. All the while, the younger Carlson was a frequent visitor. According to Bisaccia, they would review his college tape and even suggest drills to him.

Admittingly, Carlson’s time at Auburn was a little more turbulent than his older brother’s. In five seasons, he battled multiple injuries and made only 71.8 percent of his field goals. Fortunately for him, Bisaccia didn’t focus too much on the stats when suggesting him to the Packers.

“I look at the makeup of the person,” he said. “I think he’s a strong mental makeup person. I think he’s been his best regardless of the circumstance. He’s been in a lot of big games, kicked in a lot of situations in the SEC, and kicked in many bowl games.”

Bisaccia also likes Carlson’s ability to self-correct, which could be somewhat of a family trait. For taller kickers, your angle when approaching the ball has to be precise, per Bisaccia. Measuring at 6-5, this contributed to Daniel’s downfall in Minnesota and is something Carlson (the same height) has worked on as well.

At least for now, Carlson doesn’t have to look over his shoulder for Crosby. He may never have to if the Packers stick to their youth movement and focus on the development of their younger players. Bisaccia believes that is the plan for 2023.

“If Anders can perform like we think he can and can improve, I think we’re prepared organizationally with, as well as the majority of the other draft picks, to weather the storm to some degree positionally, and hopefully, they can keep improving and get better with time.”

Despite draft picks, Packers not closing door on Mason Crosby, Adrian Amos

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said he won’t close the door on returning kicker Mason Crosby or safety Adrian Amos despite picks made in the 2023 draft.

Despite the Green Bay Packers selecting kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round and safety Anthony Johnson Jr. in the seventh round, general manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t ruling out free agent Mason Crosby as an option at kicker and free agent Adrian Amos at safety.

Gutekunst on Crosby: “I’ve praised Mason up here a bunch, and what he’s done for our organization, and we’re never going to close the door on that.”

Gutekunst on Amos: “We’re not going to close the door on that, Adrian has done such a nice job for us over the last four years. We’ve been in communication with him along the way. We’ll see where that goes…Adrian, he played at a high level for a long time, played at a high level for us last year, so we wouldn’t close the door on that yet.”

Carlson was the team’s first draft pick at kicker since Crosby, the 193rd pick in the sixth round of the 2007 draft.

In Carlson, the Packers think they have an ascending kicker talent who is finally healthy after two injury-plagued seasons in 2021 (ACL) and 2022 (shoulder). He was an All-American in 2020 but has struggled with consistency since, especially from long range. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia worked with his older brother, Daniel, in Las Vegas, and he also spent time with Anders at Auburn before the draft. Gutekunst admitted Bisaccia’s familarity and confidence in Carlson greatly impacted the decision to make him a sixth-round pick.

In a weak safety class, the Packers waited until deep into the seventh round to make a pick at the position.

A seventh-round pick doesn’t usually impact roster plans for a season, but Johnson Jr. has the experience (played in over 60 games at Iowa State) and coverage ability to play rotational snaps right away as a rookie. The Packers also re-signed Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt, signed Tarvarius Moore and are moving Darnell Savage back to safety, so the depth chart is getting a little crowded.

Crosby turns 39 later this year and would need a decent salary to return. Amos turned 30 on Saturday and is coming off a disappointing 2022 season.

It’s possible the Packers will want to get a long look at the young, new options at kicker and safety before deciding on whether or not to bring back Crosby and Amos for 2023. The Packers don’t want to say they are rebuilding, but this is a young team in transition, and developing the future — especially after making two draft picks — might trump spending money on retaining two veterans.

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Cap-strapped Packers sound prepared to move on from veteran K Mason Crosby

While getting younger and cheaper, the Packers sound prepared to move on from veteran kicker Mason Crosby.

General manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t know who his kicker will be during the 2023 season, but it’s sounding more and more like Mason Crosby returning to the cap-strapped Green Bay Packers is an unlikely option.

“We’ll see, right?” Gutekunst said from the NFL Owners Meetings on Monday when asked who will be his kicker next season. “That’s to be determined.”

Crosby, a 2007 draft pick who has played all 16 seasons with the Packers, is an unrestricted free agent. He’ll turn 39 years old later this year. Gutekunst said the salary cap is a hurdle to Crosby returning for a 17th season in 2023.

“We would never close the door. We’ll see where that goes,” Gutekunst said. “He had a good year this past year. We’re limited a little bit financially, but would never say never.”

Crosby hit 25 of 29 field goals and 37 of 39 extra points in 2022. His cap hit was $4,735,000, a number the Packers likely can’t afford in 2023.

With an Aaron Rodgers trade coming and the salary cap side of the equation still correcting, the Packers may see change at kicker as an unavoidable step in creating a younger and cheaper roster.

Crosby is the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals and points scored.

The only other kicker on the Packers roster is Parker White, an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina with no regular-season NFL experience. It’s possible the Packers will have to use a draft pick – keep in mind, the team has seven picks on Day 3 of the 2023 draft – to add competition at kicker.

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Top available free agent kickers the Bucs could pursue

If the Bucs don’t draft or sign a rookie kicker, these are some names the team could look out for in free agency:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ brief era of consistency at the kicker position is over.

The team released kicker Ryan Succop on Thursday, marking the end of his three-year tenure in Tampa Bay. He was a crucial part of the team’s 2020 Super Bowl run, but a massive drop in accuracy from deep in 2022 and a large cap number is likely why the team is moving on.

Naturally, the Bucs can grab a rookie kicker in the draft or sign one after it — Jason Licht has somewhat of a penchant for it — but there are also a few notable kickers who are currently free agents. Here are just a few the Bucs could look at for the 2023 season:

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst expects Mason Crosby back in 2023

The Packers may not need a new kicker in 2023.

Earlier Tuesday, we highlighted six kickers the Green Bay Packers could target in this year’s draft to replace Mason Crosby. Less than five hours later, Brian Gutekunst basically threw those suggestions in the garbage when he all but confirmed that the team plans to have Crosby back next season.   

“To be able to kick in Lambeau Field in clutch situations, I mean any new kicker, that’s gonna be tough for those guys. That takes time and Mason has that. He has that experience. I think you’ll see a stronger leg and a different power in his leg on kickoffs this coming year just because he won’t be coming off that surgery,” said Gutekunst at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.  

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a GM who expects to have his franchise kicker back in 2023.  

The uncertainty around Crosby’s future stemmed from an expiring contract and a season that depicted an aging kicker losing some of his leg strength.   

However, Gutekunst made it a point to defend Crosby, stating that his performance was impacted by a significant knee injury that required surgery during the offseason.  

“He went through a pretty significant little injury right before the season started,” Gutekunst said. “I don’t know if he was ever really able to completely catch up because of what we were asking him to do. He had to go out there and kick for us right away. So, I think it’s a credit to him.”  

The injury clearly impacted Crosby, whose leg strength had never been an issue before last season. Green Bay finished dead last in touchback percentage, and Crosby was 1-of-4 on field goal attempts of at least 50 yards. Still, Crosby managed to make 25-of-29 (86.2%) of his kicks.  

And by kicking in every game last season, Crosby extended his record for consecutive regular-season games played to 258. Judging by Gutekunst’s comments, it sounds like he will get the chance to add to the streak.  

Next, the Packers will have to work out a deal that makes sense for the salary cap and Crosby, who will turn 39 in September.   

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2023 NFL Scouting Combine features six possible replacements for Mason Crosby

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine features six possible replacements for veteran kicker Mason Crosby, who is no longer under contract with the Packers.

Good kickers are hard to come by. It’s a thankless position that typically goes unnoticed until you need a new one. The Packers were fortunate to find their franchise kicker in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, but those days could be over.   

Mason Crosby is a free agent, and unless he takes a team-friendly deal, it is unlikely that he will be back with Green Bay in 2023. Then again, he could retire altogether and force the team to find a replacement.  

If Crosby’s time with the Packers really is over, fans may want to take a second to appreciate what he has done over the last 16 seasons.   

For the most part, Crosby’s good days have outnumbered the bad. You usually don’t become the all-time scoring leader in franchise history otherwise.  

Last season, however, it became clear that Crosby’s best days were behind him. He still managed to be efficient on his way to making 25-of-29 field goal attempts and all but two of his extra points, but as the season wore on, it became clear that at 38, Crosby didn’t have the same leg that he used to. Green Bay finished dead last in touchback percentage, and Crosby’s season-long field goal was a 56-yarder that barely skipped over the crossbar — his only make of four field goal attempts over 50 yards.  

Considering Crosby’s age and deteriorating leg, now feels like the right time for both parties to move on.   

When it comes to finding their next kicker, the Packers have two options: bring in a free agent or select one in the draft as they did in 2007. If they decide to go the draft route, here are six possible options — all of which were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine this week.    

Kicker becomes big offseason need for Packers if Mason Crosby doesn’t return

The Packers must decide Mason Crosby’s future soon. If he’s not back, the need at kicker becomes a big one.

It’s not often a position discussed heavily during draft season, especially for the Green Bay Packers, who have had Mason Crosby, but whether it be in the draft or afterwards in signing an undrafted rookie, addressing kicker may end up being on Brian Gutekunst’s to-do list.

With the Packers and Crosby not reaching an extension prior to February 20th — and who knows if talks even happened — Crosby will become an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins on March 15th and leave behind a dead cap hit of $1.005 million. Of the difficult decisions that Gutey will have to make this offseason, determining Crosby’s future is one of them.

On the one hand, finding a reliable kicker is no easy task. Just look around the NFL at all of the teams struggling to do so. Last season, Crosby hit 37 of his 39 extra point attempts and 25 of 29 field goals. We also have to mention his comfortability in kicking in the Lambeau Field cold.

However, it’s evident that Father Time is also catching up with Crosby as he just doesn’t have the same leg power as he used to. Of his four misses, three were from 50+ yards. In addition to that, almost 80% of Crosby’s kickoff attempts were returned, which was the second-highest rate in football. He also had the third-fewest touchbacks. There were even two games in 2022 where Green Bay elevated Ramiz Ahmed from the practice squad to handle the kickoffs. Fortunately, the Packers’ kick coverage unit was much improved, but this puts a lot of stress on that group, having to routinely defend.

At the moment, the Packers have one kicker on the roster with Parker White. A 2022 undrafted rookie out of South Carolina, White doesn’t have any NFL experience but has a big leg. With the Gamecocks, he made 72 of his 99 career field goal attempts, including 24 of 45 from 40 yards or more, and 152 of the 154 extra point attempts he had, according to PFF.

Including compensatory draft picks, the Packers are projected to have 11 selections in this year’s draft, and one of them could be used on a kicker if Crosby does not return. Below are a few names to know.

Jake Moody, Michigan

Career: 134/134 on extra points. 63/77 on field goals. 14/23 from 40-plus yards.

Christopher Dunn, NC State

Career: 196/196 on extra points. 91/107 on field goals. 23/33 from 40-plus yards.

Jack Podlesny, Georgia

Career: 153/154 on extra points. 50/60 on field goal attempts. 4/7 from 40-plus yards.

Chad Ryland, Maryland

Career: 171/176 on extra points. 67/89 on field goals. 3/5 from 40-plus yards.

Anders Carlson, Auburn

Career: 160/163 on extra points. 76/107 on field goals. 29/55 from 40-plus yards.

If the Packers don’t draft a kicker, they will certainly sign at least one, if not two, to compete with White this summer. For what it’s worth, last offseason, Green Bay did have three kickers on the roster during OTAs, but Rich Bisaccia told reporters that he didn’t expect to go into training camp with that many, and one was eventually cut. Perhaps if Green Bay is without Crosby, they will take a different approach, given the inexperience at the position, but this is worth noting.

Free agent kickers this offseason, if Green Bay chooses to go that route, include Robbie Gould, Greg Zuerlein, Matt Gay, Greg Joseph, Randy Bullock, Brett Maher, and Chase McLaughlin.

The kicker position can largely be forgotten about, until a mistake is made, but for a majority of the last 16 years, it’s something that the Packers haven’t really had to worry about. However, depending on what happens with Crosby, that could all change.

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It’s probably time for Packers to move on from K Mason Crosby

Crosby has declining leg strength, doesn’t have a contract for 2023 and turns 39 in September.

While veteran Mason Crosby made 86.2 percent of his field goal attempts and it’s true that finding reliable kickers in the NFL can be a fright-filled adventure, the Green Bay Packers should probably move on from the 38-year-old kicker this offseason.

Crosby, who now ranks 11th all-time in points scored, holds just about every franchise record for kicking and his future in the team’s Hall of Fame is secure. But the Packers have to be realistic about where Crosby is and what the near future looks like for a kicker who is losing leg strength, doesn’t have a contract and turns 39 in September.

Crosby was excellent from 49 yards and in during the 2022 season. He connected on 24 of 25 attempts (including makes from 48 and 49 yards in the season finale against Detroit) after missing eight of 20 attempts between 20-49 last year.

The problem: Crosby was 1-for-4 on field goals of 50 yards or longer, his touchback percentage plummeted to 20.3 percent (third-worst in the NFL) and he averaged only 60.3 yards per kickoff (worst among full-time kickers).

Sure, Crosby hit a 56-yarder at Lambeau Field against the Vikings in Week 17. But it was also 40 degrees with little wind that day. Crosby missed from 53 yards, 54 yards and 55 yards earlier in the season. His 53-yarder against the Lions in the finale was short and bounced off the crossbar.

Leg strength declines with age and generally doesn’t come back. Crosby, the team’s pick in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, has had a declining touchback percentage each of the last three years.

Late in the season, the Packers wanted Ramiz Ahmed to come off the practice squad and handle kickoffs, but he injured his groin before Week 17 and didn’t play the rest of the year.

The Packers’ punter, veteran Pat O’Donnell, has only kicked off 21 times at the NFL level. He’ll be entering his 10th season in 2023.

On the financial side, Crosby counted almost $5 million on the cap in 2022 and would need a new contract to return next season. General manager Brian Gutekunst could save a few million on the cap in 2023 by going younger and cheaper at kicker.

Of course, there’s an obvious risk here. Crosby, despite declining leg strength, was reliable at key distances under Rich Bisaccia in 2022 and knows how to kick at Lambeau Field. It’s possible he could have a few more seasons kicking at a decent percentage in the 20-49 range barring injury. And starting over at kicker would be a big change for a franchise that has known only one over the last decade and a half.

But all good things must come to an end, and it’s time for the Packers to begin anew at kicker. The signs of decline are there, and the end of Crosby’s contract provides a clean severance point.

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Mason Crosby sets Packers franchise record with 256 consecutive games played

Packers K Mason Crosby broke Brett Favre’s franchise record for consecutive games played when he launched the opening kickoff on Sunday in Miami.

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Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby set the franchise record for consecutive games played when he launched the opening kickoff to start Sunday’s showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

Crosby, a sixth-round pick in 2007, has now played in a record 256 consecutive games, breaking Brett Favre’s team record and tying him with London Fletcher for the fourth-longest all-time record.

Crosby, 38, has never missed a game in his 17-year NFL career.

Here is the Packers’ acknowledgement of the new record:

Aaron Rodgers delivers key block as Packers upend Cowboys in OT

Aaron Rodgers throws key block during the Packers’ game-winning drive in OT

The Green Bay Packers were marching in overtime on Sunday at Lambeau against the Dallas Cowboys.

Aaron Rodgers handed off to Aaron Jones and the quarterback was willing to do anything to help his running back get closer to the end zone.

Even throwing a block.

Watch as Rodgers puts a shoulder into Donovan Wilson allowing Jones to gain some more important yardage.

The Cowboys were also called for a grasping the facemask penalty on the play and that set up a chance for the game-winning field goal.

Mason Crosby came on and kicked the game-winner from 28 yards and that five-game losing streak in Green Bay was history, 31-28.