....& it appears that he's accepted it. Now, we just have to wait 7 days, starting on Monday, for Pittsburgh to decide if they're going to match it. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/fb/nfl/1298236 Texans ink Allen, fulfill goal at RB Deal in works for kicker Brown By CARLTON THOMPSON Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle The Texans' string of good fortune continued Friday when they agreed to terms with another of their top free-agent targets. Running back James Allen is in the fold after signing a one-year contract worth $800,000, including a $200,000 signing bonus. Since the free-agent signing period began on March 1, the Texans have signed center Steve McKinney, receiver Corey Bradford, outside linebackers Kailee Wong and Greg Jones, and Allen. All but Jones were at the top of the Texans' wish list at their positions. The Texans could be moving a step closer to scratching another item off their things-to-do list. The team made a formal offer to restricted free-agent kicker Kris Brown late Friday evening, but the offer sheet was completed too late to reach the league office by the close of business. It will be filed Monday morning. Brown, who spent the past three seasons with Pittsburgh, also visited Buffalo but prefers Houston because it's only four hours from his hometown of Southlake. Beginning Monday, the Steelers will have seven days to match the Texans' offer. If the Steelers choose not to match, they will get a seventh-round draft pick from the Texans as compensation. Details of the offer sheet were not immediately available, but it is believed to be a four-year offer front-loaded with a cap hit of more than $1 million in the first year. That is to dissuade the Steelers from matching. Brown, 25, is regarded as one of the best young kickers in the league despite an off year in 2001. He made 25 of 29 field goals as a rookie in 1999 and 25 of 30 the following year before missing a league-high 14 field goals last season. Brown tied for the league best with a 55-yarder in 2001. "We're doing this because Kris would like to be in Houston," said Glenn Schwartzman, Brown's agent. "We're hopeful, but it's not in our control. It's not that Kris doesn't want to be a Steeler. It's just that he wants to be a Texan." Allen, who likely will be the Texans' starting running back, had offers from as many as four other teams and could have gotten more money elsewhere. He decided the Texans offered the best chance to rejuvenate his career. Allen, a four-year veteran from Oklahoma, rushed for 1,120 yards in 2000 but slipped to 469 yards last season as the Chicago Bears made rookie Anthony Thomas their featured back. "This is a chance for James to go down there and show he's one of the top backs in the league," said Steve Mandell, Allen's agent. "There were three or four other teams that were really intense in their pursuit of James, but we felt his best opportunity was to go down to Houston, get a chance to play and maximize his strengths." One of the deciding factors for Allen was that Texans coach Dom Capers called and assured him he would be a key part of the offense. The Texans also signed former Texas A&M fullback Clif Groce on Friday. Groce, who sat out the 2001 season, has spent time with Cincinnati and Indianapolis. He joins Matt Snider as the only fullbacks on the roster.
Isn't the reason that Brown sucked so much last year due to the new stadium in Pittsburgh? I remember hearing about the wind issues in Pittsburgh being a reason for Brown's botched kicks. I don't recall the exact stat, but I believe that the opponents in Pitt. also have a terrible time kicking there. So maybe it's just a Pittsburgh issue and not a Kris Brown issue?
Of his 13 misses last year, 4 were on the road. http://www.nfl.com/players/gamelogs/133236_gamelog.htm Anything longer than 30 yards is an adventure with this guy. There has to be a better kicker available.
please sign him. even after he missed crucial fg in the baltimore game, the steelers stood by him. obviously he is well liked by his teammates. also, he is only 25 years old.
So, what would you rather have, a kicker who is well liked by teammates but misses 13 field goals? or A flaky kicker who makes 95% of his field goals? Tough one ain't it
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/news/stories/20020126/localsports/1536812.html Heinz Field has quickly become a kicker's nightmare By JIM CORBETT Gannet News Service -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PITTSBURGH -- New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri is acutely aware of the Heinz Field horror stories. He has heard that the NFL's Bermuda Triangle has approximated a local driving range with all the duck hooks and slices this inaugural season. The shiny new stadium that opened in August on the banks of the Allegheny River has been a nightmare for kickers, especially the Pittsburgh Steelers' Kris Brown, who has suffered 11 of his 15 misses at Heinz. The problems range from swirling winds blowing in from the open, south end zone to the sandy-based soil that makes the newly-sodded, slick natural-grass surface akin to kicking off green relish. Vinatieri would be well advised to take some extra practice time Saturday inside the troublesome stadium in preparation for Sunday's Patriots-Steelers AFC championship game. "I've talked to their punter, Josh Miller, and it's definitely a tough place to kick," Vinatieri said. "You have to feel for any kicker in that situation. Sometimes, you feel you hit it exactly right, and it doesn't go through. Those things you scratch your head about if you're a kicker." Steelers president Dan Rooney said his father, Art, the Hall of Fame founding father of the league's fifth-oldest franchise, would have loved the south end of Heinz Field, which is open and faces the river. Rooney said his father would have loved what amounts to a window on the city of Pittsburgh. But kickers have come to loathe and fear that end. It is where their field goals become unruly kites in the swirling wind. Coach Bill Cowher has been more than patient with Brown, understanding that the third-year kicker from the University of Nebraska isn't the only one who has struggled at Heinz. Opposing kickers have made just three of nine field-goal attempts there this season. Combined with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, who also use the stadium, the Steelers and Panthers' field-goal percentage is an abysmal 48 percent. "I haven't been anywhere that's like this," Brown said. "It's something I can't explain. "The stadium presents a number of challenges. The winds at times can be tricky. Cold weather can cause some problems. This late in the year, if you look at how many games have been played on that field, the surface itself sometimes can cause the problems. With us and Pitt playing on it, it can get soft." Vinatieri overcame the most difficult conditions, kicking three field goals in last Saturday night's blizzard at Foxboro Stadium. Vinatieri hit a 45-yard line drive through the snow to tie the divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders at 13-13 with 27 seconds left. Then he made a forever 23-yarder into the wind in overtime that delivered the Patriots within one win of Super Bowl XXXVI and had a giddy teammate making snow angels in the end zone. Before the winning kick, Raiders coach Jon Gruden called a timeout in an attempt to ice Vinatieri. Instead, Vinatieri and his holder, Ken Walter, and snapper, Lonie Paxton, kicked away ice and snow from the spot of the winning field-goal try. "It gave us time to clear a little area," Vinatieri said. "A few of us were just clearing as much as we could with our feet. But even then, you were left with about an inch or so of snow on the surface. You couldn't get all of it. So the spot was less than perfect." Vinatieri comes to Heinz off a season in which he has drilled 24 of 30 field goals, compared to 30 of 44 for Brown. Brown was glad to be 2 of 3 just last week in the Steelers' divisional playoff rout of Baltimore, the team against which he missed four of five field-goal attempts in a Nov. 4 loss at Heinz. "It was like I hadn't kicked ever in a game," Brown said. "But I've done some good things as well. Everybody wants to talk about the Baltimore game and all the negative things. I focus on the things I've done well. That's the most important thing, to focus on the positive." Cowher was encouraged by Brown's 2-of-3 playoff performance last Sunday. "I think he's fine," Cowher said. "I think he's back, I really do." I just hope it isnt an enormously long contract.
Nice find on the article JayZ750. By the way, it's reportedly, a 4 year offer that's front end loaded. BobFinn*, I just worked up some numbers for you, that lends credibility to the comments by others about the new stadium. Of the 8 home games in Pittsburgh, 7 had field goals attempted in them. Five of the kickers are considered very good veteran kickers. They are Matt Stover, Mike Hollis, Gary Anderson, Joe Nedney, Jason Hanson & the other two are average kickers. As the article that JayZ750 posted indicates, the visiting kickers went a combined 3-9. Stover went 2-2 & Anderson went 1-2. The remaing 5 went 0-5. Of the made field goals, 2 were under 29 yards in length & the third one was 39 yards. The most telling stat is that all 7 visiting kickers combined for 1-7 on kicks that were 30 yards or longer. This drop in success rate parallels the drop in Brown's success rate. He attempted more field goals from 40-49 yards than any other distance & went 4-11 at that distance. On the road, he went 2-4 from the same distance. So, it appears that Brown had better success, under adverse conditions, than some of the best kickers in the game. I'd have to say that Brown would be a steal for us, if all we have to give up is a 7th round pick. Here's a link to his field goal & kickoff splits. http://www.nfl.com/players/splits/133236_split.htm
Brown's a fine kicker and would be a nice addition to this team. I think Casserly is smart enough to not spend limited resources on a guy as bad as the Heinz Field stats make him out to be. Have some faith in the Texans' management...chances are they know more about football talent than all of us combined!
Just quibbling, but... since when has Joe Nedney been a good kicker? He had one (1) good year. And a few very mediocre ones.
Nice work Hottoddie. Its only 1 season at the new stadium in Pittsburgh, so we will have to wait a few more seasons to find out if those stats are(a) a bad season for kickers in the NFL or (b) Heinz Field really is a bad place for kickers. I agree Max, that Casserly knows what he is doing. Its just that 15 missed field goals in an NFL season is kinda frightening to me.
I agree that he probably is a fine kicker, just had a bad year due to the HEinz FIeld problems. But, ther reason I didnt want too long a contract was because events like those can, occasionally, become more permanent due to the mental side effects. But NFL contracts arent guranteed, are they? In tht case, its a good move.
some NFL contracts are guaranteed..but it's doubtful one for Kris Brown would be...I think Favre has guaranteed money...those sorts of franchise type players are far more likely to get guaranteed money than kickers.
I believe that this is also the reason for the current system where signing bonuses are such a big deal. In effect, the signing bonus becomes the guaranteed money.
This invites the question: Is it a contract, if only one party is held to the terms & the other party can cancel it at will for any reason? I'll bet, that the next NFL/Players agreement will remedy that flaw.
Brown going 1-5 in the Baltimore Game had Largely to do with an injury he sustained on his 2nd attempt. Sebastian Janikowski had a Pro Bowl season going until he blew 3 kicks on national TV against the Titans due to an injury. The Raiders signed Free agent kicker Brad Daliuso who missed 2 FGs and an Extra Point in the Jets loss, which knocked them out of first round bye status, Hell I bet Gannon could have made the extra point and maybe 1 field goal. So you can see Injuries to Kickers are really a very vital thing in the NFL.
Well, it seems that the Texans will most likely get their man. In the words of Darth Vader, "I have you now..." Peterson offer may signal end of Brown debate With the clock ticking toward a Monday resolution of kicker Kris Brown's status, the Pittsburgh Steelers hinted Saturday they may not match a restricted free agent offer sheet to their placement specialist, as ESPN.com learned the team has opened negotiations with Todd Peterson. Team officials exchanged contract proposals with Michael Moye, the agent for Peterson, and there is a chance the eight-year veteran and unrestricted free agent will visit with Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher as early as Sunday evening. Pittsburgh on Saturday morning made a three-year proposal to Peterson and he countered several hours later with a four-year proposal. It is believed Peterson, who kicked the past two years with the Kansas City Chiefs and is regarded by several clubs as the best kicker still available in the unrestricted market, is seeking a contract that is worth about $1 million annually. The active negotiations with Peterson reflect the very real possibility Pittsburgh will simply not meet the price of the Brown offer sheet. Obviously, the team is seeking a viable alternative to Brown, who struggled throughout the 2001 campaign. The Steelers have until Monday at 4 p.m. to match the three-year offer sheet that Brown, who is a restricted free agent, signed with the expansion Houston Texans last week. Steelers management is clearly split over whether to match the four-year, $4.7 million offer sheet. If they match, they inherit the terms of the offer sheet, which includes a $1 million signing bonus. Should the Steelers decide not to match the offer sheet, Brown would move on to the Texans and Houston would have to compensate Pittsburgh with a seventh-round choice in this year's draft. A major sticking point for the Steelers is that Houston has partially guaranteed base salaries in the final two years of the Brown offer sheet. He is scheduled to make $900,000 in 2004 and $1.3 million in 2005. But the Texans have guaranteed $375,000 in each of those years. Beyond the fact Steelers owner Dan Rooney is philosophically opposed to such salary guarantees, Brown is coming off a terrible 2001 season, and Pittsburgh might not want to make a long-term commitment to him. Brown, 25, missed a league-high 14 field goal attempts in 2001, has blamed the surface at the new Heinz Field for his poor performance, and suggested last week he would prefer to kick in his native Texas. That final remark will not sit well with the throaty Steelers fans if the team matches the offer sheet and Brown struggles again in 2002. It is thought that Cowher and director of football operations Kevin Colbert want to match the offer sheet and retain Brown's services. Rooney and contract negotiator Omar Khan are wary of matching the deal because they don't want to impact future salary caps. Peterson, 32, has kicked for three different teams in his NFL career, and Kansas City indicated early in the free agent period they want to re-sign him. He is also being pursued by Cincinnati and is believed to be the next kicker on Houston's wish list if the Steelers retain Brown by matching the offer sheet to him. The former University of Georgia star has converted 170 of 213 field goal tries and all but one of his 234 extra point attempts during his career. Peterson hit 27 of 35 field goals and 27 of 28 extra points for the Chiefs in 2001.
