Cowboys looking at Ex-Green Bay Kicker Dave Rayner?
Kicker Rayner gets booted
Draft pick Crosby draws deciding edge
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
Rayner won't be out of work long
At least that's what Rayner and his agent, Paul Sheehy, were told by the Green Bay Packers.
What they weren't told was why Rayner was released and Crosby was kept. Their assumption is that Crosby got the nod because he is a Ted Thompson draft choice - a sixth-round pick this year - and draft picks always win out in a tie.
"I think in their mind they were about equal," Sheehy said Saturday night. "But they used a draft pick on him (Crosby) and that's a valuable thing. You don't like to cut draft picks."
Crosby's agent, Mike McCartney, agreed that Crosby's status as a draft choice helped him. But he also said that as a rookie Crosby has room for improvement and if he's equal to Rayner now, there's a chance he'll be ahead of him later.
McCartney praised Rayner for the way he kicked during training camp and said there was very little doubt that he would be on another team in the next couple of days. Crosby, McCartney said, couldn't have had a better experience in training camp battling Rayner kick for kick throughout.
"It was great for Mason," McCartney said. "He will be more battle-tested than any rookie in recent years. It's going to be very beneficial. I think it's a tribute to how Dave and Mason competed. They're both going to be very successful this year."
Rayner joined the Packers last spring after serving as Indianapolis' kickoff man in 2005. In training camp, he beat out veteran Billy Cundiff for the right to replace the departed Ryan Longwell and hit 26 for 35 on field goals - including a 44-yard game-winner against Minnesota on Dec. 21 and a franchise record-tying 54-yarder at Philadelphia Oct. 2.
Rayner, who hit 31 for 32 extra points, also had 11 touchbacks on kickoffs, the most the Packers have had since Longwell's rookie year in 1997.
As a result of his strong training camp, Rayner will draw interest around the league. Sheehy said he would know by noon today whether a team had claimed him off waivers.
According to a source not connected with Rayner or Sheehy, four teams - Dallas, New York Giants, Atlanta and Kansas City - had plans to bring Rayner in for a tryout if he clears waivers. Another team that appears to have some interest is the Cincinnati Bengals, whose kicker Shayne Graham suffered a hip pointer Friday night against Indianapolis.
Rayner, who did not return a phone message Saturday night, is happy to have teams interested in him, but he was hurt by the Packers' decision to release him, according to Sheehy.
"I think he was upset," the agent said. "He didn't think he did anything to lose the job. I don't disagree. It was a matter of business. If he wasn't disappointed he should be doing something else for a living. He works all off-season for a job and then gets fired. Frustration is normal."
Rayner had some rough patches last season that prompted the Packers to select Crosby, who some scouts had written off because of a poor combine performance, and some had written off because they thought his numbers were enhanced by kicking in a high altitude at Colorado.
Crosby showed early that he had as strong of a leg as Rayner, and put to the test day after day in a one-on-one field goal kicking contest, he proved more accurate, hitting 101 for 118 (85.6%) in practice and games to Rayner's 95 for 117 (81.2%).
"The league messed up on draft day with him," McCartney said. "I think it was a case of a guy who comes into the draft process with high expectations and gets over-evaluated at a ridiculous combine event where there's no emotion involved. A lot of people passed on him because of that. I give the Packers a lot of credit for taking him."
McCartney said he had no doubt Crosby would handle kicking under pressure during the regular season. He said his experience kicking in big games for the Buffaloes as well as competing with Rayner prepared him for this job.
"He's ready," McCartney said. "He was ready for this competition and he's ready to kick for the Packers."
Draft pick Crosby draws deciding edge
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
Rayner won't be out of work long
At least that's what Rayner and his agent, Paul Sheehy, were told by the Green Bay Packers.
What they weren't told was why Rayner was released and Crosby was kept. Their assumption is that Crosby got the nod because he is a Ted Thompson draft choice - a sixth-round pick this year - and draft picks always win out in a tie.
"I think in their mind they were about equal," Sheehy said Saturday night. "But they used a draft pick on him (Crosby) and that's a valuable thing. You don't like to cut draft picks."
Crosby's agent, Mike McCartney, agreed that Crosby's status as a draft choice helped him. But he also said that as a rookie Crosby has room for improvement and if he's equal to Rayner now, there's a chance he'll be ahead of him later.
McCartney praised Rayner for the way he kicked during training camp and said there was very little doubt that he would be on another team in the next couple of days. Crosby, McCartney said, couldn't have had a better experience in training camp battling Rayner kick for kick throughout.
"It was great for Mason," McCartney said. "He will be more battle-tested than any rookie in recent years. It's going to be very beneficial. I think it's a tribute to how Dave and Mason competed. They're both going to be very successful this year."
Rayner joined the Packers last spring after serving as Indianapolis' kickoff man in 2005. In training camp, he beat out veteran Billy Cundiff for the right to replace the departed Ryan Longwell and hit 26 for 35 on field goals - including a 44-yard game-winner against Minnesota on Dec. 21 and a franchise record-tying 54-yarder at Philadelphia Oct. 2.
Rayner, who hit 31 for 32 extra points, also had 11 touchbacks on kickoffs, the most the Packers have had since Longwell's rookie year in 1997.
As a result of his strong training camp, Rayner will draw interest around the league. Sheehy said he would know by noon today whether a team had claimed him off waivers.
According to a source not connected with Rayner or Sheehy, four teams - Dallas, New York Giants, Atlanta and Kansas City - had plans to bring Rayner in for a tryout if he clears waivers. Another team that appears to have some interest is the Cincinnati Bengals, whose kicker Shayne Graham suffered a hip pointer Friday night against Indianapolis.
Rayner, who did not return a phone message Saturday night, is happy to have teams interested in him, but he was hurt by the Packers' decision to release him, according to Sheehy.
"I think he was upset," the agent said. "He didn't think he did anything to lose the job. I don't disagree. It was a matter of business. If he wasn't disappointed he should be doing something else for a living. He works all off-season for a job and then gets fired. Frustration is normal."
Rayner had some rough patches last season that prompted the Packers to select Crosby, who some scouts had written off because of a poor combine performance, and some had written off because they thought his numbers were enhanced by kicking in a high altitude at Colorado.
Crosby showed early that he had as strong of a leg as Rayner, and put to the test day after day in a one-on-one field goal kicking contest, he proved more accurate, hitting 101 for 118 (85.6%) in practice and games to Rayner's 95 for 117 (81.2%).
"The league messed up on draft day with him," McCartney said. "I think it was a case of a guy who comes into the draft process with high expectations and gets over-evaluated at a ridiculous combine event where there's no emotion involved. A lot of people passed on him because of that. I give the Packers a lot of credit for taking him."
McCartney said he had no doubt Crosby would handle kicking under pressure during the regular season. He said his experience kicking in big games for the Buffaloes as well as competing with Rayner prepared him for this job.
"He's ready," McCartney said. "He was ready for this competition and he's ready to kick for the Packers."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:12 AM
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