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Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by BakoSaint (Post 995009)

I think every team gets an international player slot. Using that slot on a kicker is the most practical and realistic use for it if you don't already have a 'franchise kicker' like Justin Tucker. If we were really shooting for a one in a million pie in the sky feel good story we would bring in some Rugby Star TE or champion Sumo Wrestling left tackle except when you looked at the fine print their level of stardom in their previous sport would be highly exaggerated, therein why they gave it up for a tryout. Kicker is absolutely the most likely position to find an international gem. Usually when some Rugby 'star' comes to the NFL looking to play RB/WR/TE they are basically the Kevin White or Tim Tebow of Rugby, and their chance of success would be similar to, if not less than, the chances of one of those guys succeeding at Rugby.

Exactly.

Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido (Post 994999)

You mean like the feel good story of that place kicker that we imported from Denmark? I believe his name was Morten Andersen.

Or that feel good story of the kicker born with no fingers on his right hand or toes on his right foot? I believe his name was Tom Dempsey.

Well if we keep trying for the next 20-30 years we might hit gold! What a brilliant strategy! Knowing we only have to wait a few decades will take the sting away every time we lose a meaningful game because our kicker misses a chip shot kick.

Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dude (Post 995060)

What are you even talking about? Overall our "strategy" for acquiring kickers is not much different than any other team in the league. We've had plenty of good ones over the past 20-30 years. The great Morten Andersen was hitting at lessor average than the kicker we have now when he first started his career. He didn't even better a 75% success rate until his 4th season! Guess we should have kicked him to the curb and called him a bust after those first three seasons, huh? :rolleyes:

Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by BakoSaint (Post 995009)

You make a good point about the transfers from the American Football game from rugby. They are two different totally different concepts that don't easily transfer from playing one game to playing a foreign game.

Although, I have coached and trained many ex football players into damn fine rugby players. But it takes time to learn the skills.....mostly, but not always. Ya'll have rules and rugby has laws.

But, back to your point about kickers. The Kickers, on the other hand have a similar system of aero dynamics that are universal with varying degrees of change.

Did you know that football was so dangerous that Teddy Roosevelt got involved after numerous deaths and introduced the forward pass and blocking in 1905 to the new American football game? The Chicago Tribune reported a bloody year on the grid iron. 19 had been killed and 159 serious injuries were reported that year.

Wikipedia has a great read up if you're interested in how football got started.

Ya'll should have just left it alone and then everyone would be playing rugby! :cheers:

Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido (Post 995068)

Wil Lutz 85% (Replaced Kai Forbath)
Garrett Hartley 83.4% (Held record for most consecutive made kicks by a first year kicker. Broken by then Redskin Kai Forbath who replaced former Saints kickoff specialist Billy Cundiff.)
John Carney 82.8%
Doug Brien 82.6%
Blake Grupe 81.1% (Replaced Wil Lutz)
Morten Andersen 77.6% ***

***Proof that "Stats Don't Matter"

Re: How Ireland's Charlie Smyth turned his NFL dream into a reality with the Saints

Quote:

Originally Posted by vpheughan (Post 995080)

My twin brother is a big fan of the old saying "statistics can say anything you want them to."