Training camp practice updates 8-25-23 (1 Viewer)

[2024InjuryApocalypse]

Lutz is a good kicker and will continue to be a good kicker well into his 30s. But if you look around the league, good kickers tend to move around in their late 20s and early 30s. Unless you have an elite kicker, most kickers will be kicking for a different team at some point. There's probably only a handful of veteran kickers who are still with their first team in the league.

Is Lutz elite? I think there's a good chance he is and I feel that last season was a down year which every kicker will have. Would I keep him? Yes because he is a proven ice cold game winning kicker and those are hard to find.

I think he's good but he's had his share of big misses here, too. In 2019 playoffs vs. MIN, he missed a very makeable field goal at the end of the 1st half in the Dome that if he makes it, the game doesn't go to OT. In 2018 vs. PHI, he misses a makeable 4th quarter field goal that would've made it 23-14. No one remembers it b/c an open Alshon Jeffery let a ball clank off his hands straight to Lattimore in our red zone in the closing moments. Yes, Lutz made what should've been a game winner vs. MIN in 2017 playoffs and had that season opening 59 yard winner vs. HOU in 2019, so he's had some big moments. But he's had some shaky moments in very big games. And last year he had his worst year.

 

[2024InjuryApocalypse]

What would be hilarious is seeing the rook try to tackle a KR that got loose.

Just slide tackle him like a soccer player and take the extra 10 yard penalty for tripping.

 

[2024InjuryApocalypse]

Yeah, Lutz was unproven at one time. But when we signed Lutz it was because we let a real good kicker in Dustin Hopkins go for a rookie kicker, I think his last name was Hocker, that looked good in the preseason and then couldn't hit the broad side of a barn during the season and then the kicker carousel started. Lutz was a need back then. Grupe is not a need today. Let's not make that same mistake again of letting a really good kicker be released or be traded away again.

Hopkins was unproven when we'd cut him. He'd spent two seasons in BUF on IR prior to coming here. It wasn't like he was a proven NFL commodity in 2015 either.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

At this point in Lutz’s career he should be getting better and better. I don’t really see it and I can’t say I have the level of confidence I would like. Didn’t he miss extra points last season? I’m more than okay saving money and going with Grupe.

Second, Mike Triplett is all in on TQS over Perry and Kirkwood over Shaq. I know he’s close to the team but I couldn’t disagree more with his assessment. I could see is making this decision in the past but I believe we have fresh eyes and AP new regime picking this roster, and regardless of tenure Id like to think we will pick the best players.

We’ll see……

Dang, I haven’t listened to NOF for a couple of weeks….and love Mike T. That makes me sad if he ends up being right…especially about Perry. AT wouldn’t make it to the practice squad, I know we say that every year but it’s true with him.

 

[2024InjuryApocalypse]

Dang, I haven’t listened to NOF for a couple of weeks….and love Mike T. That makes me sad if he ends up being right…especially about Perry. AT wouldn’t make it to the practice squad, I know we say that every year but it’s true with him.

Yeah, Davis would MAYBE make it to PS. Perry would not.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

Yeah, Davis would MAYBE make it to PS. Perry would not.

agree.

 

[B_doggman47]

Yeah, Lutz was unproven at one time. But when we signed Lutz it was because we let a real good kicker in Dustin Hopkins go for a rookie kicker, I think his last name was Hocker, that looked good in the preseason and then couldn't hit the broad side of a barn during the season and then the kicker carousel started. Lutz was a need back then. Grupe is not a need today. Let's not make that same mistake again of letting a really good kicker be released or be traded away again.

Hopkins was unproven when we'd cut him. He'd spent two seasons in BUF on IR prior to coming here. It wasn't like he was a proven NFL commodity in 2015 either.

That's right, Hopkins was unproven, but did just as good as Hocker and they made the wrong choice and we ended up on a kicker carousel until we picked up Lutz. When Lutz went on IR, went back on the carousel. Lutz had a down year last season, you could see when he was kicking last season he wasn't comfortable and something was still bothering him. I don't believe he was fully healed up from his core injury and it effected his kicking. He started getting better towards the end of the season last year. As I said earlier, Lutz has been nailing kicks from 50+ and he nailed a few from 60. Can Grupe hit those, we don't know since he hasn't attempted any yet in camp or in preseason. I would stay with what we know in Lutz and keep Grupe on the PS or trade him to a team that needs a kicker.
Nothing against Grupe, I believe he is a good kicker, but I've just seen him make short and midrange kicks. What can he do from further out, we don't know. Hopefully we see if he can in tomorrow night's game.

 

[2024InjuryApocalypse]

That's right, Hopkins was unproven, but did just as good as Hocker and they made the wrong choice and we ended up on a kicker carousel until we picked up Lutz. When Lutz went on IR, went back on the carousel. Lutz had a down year last season, you could see when he was kicking last season he wasn't comfortable and something was still bothering him. I don't believe he was fully healed up from his core injury and it effected his kicking. He started getting better towards the end of the season last year. As I said earlier, Lutz has been nailing kicks from 50+ and he nailed a few from 60. Can Grupe hit those, we don't know since he hasn't attempted any yet in camp or in preseason. I would stay with what we know in Lutz and keep Grupe on the PS or trade him to a team that needs a kicker.
Nothing against Grupe, I believe he is a good kicker, but I've just seen him make short and midrange kicks. What can he do from further out, we don't know. Hopefully we see if he can in tomorrow night's game.

Lutz missed 2 in the Dome in the season finale vs CAR (one mid-range one and one over 50), a game we lost by 3. You can always make the wrong choice and sticking with Lutz could end up being the wrong one here, too.

 

[B_doggman47]

Lutz missed 2 in the Dome in the season finale vs CAR (one mid-range one and one over 50), a game we lost by 3. You can always make the wrong choice and sticking with Lutz could end up being the wrong one here, too.

That works both ways, Grupe could end up being the wrong choice too. I would still prefer sticking with the experience and range of Lutz.

 

[LUX]

Wasn't Lutz picked up after Harbaugh told CSP he should sweep him up after we were failing hard on kickers.

 

[B_doggman47]

Wasn't Lutz picked up after Harbaugh told CSP he should sweep him up after we were failing hard on kickers.

He sure did. Harbaugh called SP and let him know they were going to release him and said if he needed a good kicker to sign Lutz.