Making the Case for Graham Gano

[benskins26]

I'm ok with one more year. But as GHH said, you can't blame all the chippy misses on Smith. Like others have said, if Rackers was 7 years younger, let the competition play out, but having seen Gano through college, he's got the leg. Question is, does he have the mind? Time will tell, but hopefully not too much more time. This is his make or break year.

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

Good read.....lets hope "Onions" can respond and become our kicker for years....the blocks are not all on him, but the flat our misses under pressure situations are on him. The Redskins have been patient and should continue to be so with him, but he needs to show that he is a pressure kicker and can do so on a regular basis. Maybe spending time with Rackers will help him get his head on straight and get that kickers confidence rolling,

HTTR

[2cents]

I'm just hopin with RGIII that we score more TDs and then don't have to worry about FGs as much.

[Botched]

Seems like everyone with an alliterative name is on the bubble this year.

Anthony Armstrong
Brandon Banks
Chris Cooley
Graham Gano

Anyway...we're talking about a kicker here. Kickers aren't part of a rebuilding process and youth is a non-factor. We need to go with whoever looks better this preseason. I'll be surprised if that's G-dub.

God I hate kickers.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

Seems like everyone with an alliterative name is on the bubble this year.

Anthony Armstrong
Brandon Banks
Chris Cooley
Graham Gano

Anyway...we're talking about a kicker here. Kickers aren't part of a rebuilding process and youth is a non-factor. We need to go with whoever looks better this preseason. I'll be surprised if that's G-dub.

God I hate kickers.

Ppl seem to not understand that simple fact. A kicker is a kicker. There are plenty of kickers in the NFL that kick WELL into their 40s. Youth isn't important for a kicker In my opinion. Also I wonder if everyone thinks we need to cut Sav Rocca too and bring in a young stud? How long is Gano gonna get? Hes had nearly 3 years. Ppl are saying that he should win regardless of the competition.., why? What has he shown you? Play he hit a 59 yarder but John Hall had a strong leg too...

[skinsfan07]

Gotta stick with the kid. From his rookie to 2nd year, I definitely was more confident in him banging those longer kicks. Once those blocks stop happening (and they will), I think he can be a top 5 kicker easily.

[SB17]

I don't get why it seems that most on ES are willing to give Danny Smith a "get-out-of-jail-free" pass for his lack of coaching. If Gano gets cut (let's just say), how many here on ES don't think he'll get picked up by another team? We all think that he would get picked up, which then means that the issues lie with the coach and his inability (among several inabilities) to properly train kickers. Don't think he's got a problem coaching kickers? Remember Sean Suisham and that b.s. "lining up the goal posts" thing he would do with his hands? How well did that work when we needed him to kick a chip shot field goal to seal a game (which we lost, by the way) against.New Orleans, or that chip shot against Seattle in the playoffs (I still pull my hair out over that one every time I think about it). You'd think a kicker that lousy would be out of the NFL, right? No. He was picked up by Pittsburgh and played in a Super Bowl, if I recall correctly. Even Nick Novak played last year!!

We'll always have problems with our kickers. The problem is the coach, and if provoked, I'll go on about directional kickoffs, blocked FG's, penalties on punt and kickoff returns which cost us severe yardage, and a Class A punt and kickoff returner who now can't seem to find the end zone.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

I don't get why it seems that most on ES are willing to give Danny Smith a "get-out-of-jail-free" pass for his lack of coaching. If Gano gets cut (let's just say), how many here on ES don't think he'll get picked up by another team? We all think that he would get picked up, which then means that the issues lie with the coach and his inability (among several inabilities) to properly train kickers. Don't think he's got a problem coaching kickers? Remember Sean Suisham and that b.s. "lining up the goal posts" thing he would do with his hands? How well did that work when we needed him to kick a chip shot field goal to seal a game (which we lost, by the way) against.New Orleans, or that chip shot against Seattle in the playoffs (I still pull my hair out over that one every time I think about it). You'd think a kicker that lousy would be out of the NFL, right? No. He was picked up by Pittsburgh and played in a Super Bowl, if I recall correctly. Even Nick Novak played last year!!

We'll always have problems with our kickers. The problem is the coach, and if provoked, I'll go on about directional kickoffs, blocked FG's, penalties on punt and kickoff returns which cost us severe yardage, and a Class A punt and kickoff returner who now can't seem to find the end zone.

Okay but Suisham still sucks. you think he was a big factor why the made the SB? You can only blame Smith for so much. He doesn't miss those 40 yarder for Gano. Of course, Gano will get another job, I mean Jason Campbell/Devin Thomas did as well. (Point is that that doesn't mean they are good)

[BLEED-B&G]

We need to pick up the Oakland punter once he is cut he was booming them on Monday. Rocca Looked terrible in 1st game

[nachol]

Nothing on Extremeskins bothers me more than the completely illogical loyalty to Graham Gano, a player who has cost us so many games the past two years and been among the worst kickers in the entire league. Why exactly should we hold onto him? Would you hold onto a quarterback in his third year who performed at the lowest level? Keeping Gano is like letting Jimmy Clausen be your starting quarterback for three straight years, under the illusion of: "Give the kid some time. He's going to be great." Everyone here expects Gano to miraculously turn into Chip Lohmiller someday. What exactly makes you think that will happen? Because of David Akers? A kicker who played ONE SINGLE game as a Redskin before moving on to the Eagles? We didn't know what we had in Akers because NO ONE did. But trust me, we know exactly what we have in Gano. A bottom of the barrel kicker. Rackers is so much better than him, it's not even worth discussing. Can't wait for the day Gano is shown the door and I don't have to cringe every time we line up for a field goal.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

NYG's kicker is Lawrence Tynes who is currently 34. They brought him when he was 28-29 not because he was young but because he had a good track record. You want a kicker that produces, not just potential.

On the opposite side, GB let Mason Crosby grow as a kicker but the difference between he and Gano is that he is way more consistent. He hit nearly 80% his first two years.

---------- Post added August-14th-2012 at 10:24 AM ----------

Nothing on Extremeskins bothers me more than the completely illogical loyalty to Graham Gano, a player who has cost us so many games the past two years and been among the worst kickers in the entire league. Why exactly should we hold onto him? Would you hold onto a quarterback in his third year who performed at the lowest level? Keeping Gano is like letting Jimmy Clausen be your starting quarterback for three straight years, under the illusion of: "Give the kid some time. He's going to be great." Everyone here expects Gano to miraculously turn into Chip Lohmiller someday. What exactly makes you think that will happen? Because of David Akers? A kicker who played ONE SINGLE game as a Redskin before moving on to the Eagles? We didn't know what we had in Akers because NO ONE did. But trust me, we know exactly what we have in Gano. A bottom of the barrel kicker. Rackers is so much better than him, it's not even worth discussing. Can't wait for the day Gano is shown the door and I don't have to cringe every time we line up for a field goal.

Finally someone said it. I am beyond tired of the Akers excuse

[sQuijeW]

for all you bashing on gano, you ever stop and think about how much SKILL it takes to purposely miss a field goal... and make it look like it had a chance?

think about how many games it would have put us away from being able to trade up for BobbyG had gano actually planned/been told to make them.

yea... WITHOUT gano there would be NO griffin. so sit down, shut up, and thank Gano.

Now that we have a bona fide starter QB, the need for a kicker is greatly diminished. Give him time to continue groom his stanky leg skillz and he will become great, if not legendary.

[nachol]

for all you bashing on gano, you ever stop and think about how much SKILL it takes to purposely miss a field goal... and make it look like it had a chance?

think about how many games it would have put us away from being able to trade up for BobbyG had gano actually planned/been told to make them.

This is the first argument for Gano I've heard that actually makes sense. Well done.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

for all you bashing on gano, you ever stop and think about how much SKILL it takes to purposely miss a field goal... and make it look like it had a chance?

think about how many games it would have put us away from being able to trade up for BobbyG had gano actually planned/been told to make them.

yea... WITHOUT gano there would be NO griffin. so sit down, shut up, and thank Gano.

Now that we have a bona fide starter QB, the need for a kicker is greatly diminished. Give him time to continue groom his stanky leg skillz and he will become great, if not legendary.

Wait...what? So you honestly believe we threw games last year and intentionally missed field goals?? really?? That's a new one...

[SAli457180]

While that article might make a lot of salient points, the coaches brought Rackers in for a reason. Whether it's competition or motivation, who knows. May the better man win.