Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

::2010 Age is as of September 1, 2010::

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Shayne Graham | Cincinnati Bengals | FA Type: UFA | 2010 Age: 32.9

Timing is everything and missing two second-half field goals in a contract year – including an easy 28-yard chip shot in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ 24-14 wild card playoff loss at home to the New York Jets – was bad timing to the nth degree for kicker Shayne Graham. Entering the 2009 season, Graham was Cincinnati’s all-time leading kicker with a field goal accuracy rating of 87.5 percent. He also accumulated five additional franchise records in his seven years with the team including most points in a season (131) and most field goals in a game (seven).

Now an unrestricted free agent, Graham had been the Bengals’ designated franchise player during the 2009 off-season but was unable to agree to a long-term extension with the team. A disgruntled Graham reportedly bashed team management on his Facebook page which strained his relationship with the Bengals’ top brass. Graham finished the 2009 regular season having connected on 23 of 28 field goals and 28 of 29 extra points.

Following the wild card loss, the Bengals appeared ready to permanently part ways with Graham. The team tried out six kickers and signed Dave Rayner in February. Rayner, 27, who sat out the 2009 season with a hip flexor injury after a brief preseason stint with the Washington Redskins, has kicked with four other clubs including the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007. He also stepped in for an injured Graham in October 2008. Rayner’s made 42 of 59 field goal attempts in his career.

Graham has been one of the league’s most accurate kickers and while he’s currently saddled with the “can’t make the clutch kicks” reputation, we think Graham will generate interest on the open market. His production over the past seven years is simply too good to not find a home with another team in 2010. The Baltimore Ravens are currently in talks with Graham, and the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and even the Indianapolis Colts are among other clubs that could be interested in signing him to a multiyear deal.

And while it’s a long-shot, we aren’t completely closing the door to the possibility that Graham could re-sign with the Bengals, though after the two missed postseason field goals, the club will not want to pay him more than the $2.8 million he earned in 2009. Depending on where he lands, Graham should continue to be a solid fantasy football option in 2010. If the Bengals completely sever ties with Graham, we expect them to bring in another leg to compete with Rayner during training camp or to look for a more proven kicker in the off-season. Given Rayner’s limited experience as a starter, we currently see him as a bye-week replacement at best.

Matt Stover | Indianapolis Colts | FA Type: UFA | 2010 Age: 42.8

Twenty year veteran Stover became an unrestricted free agent when the Colts cut ties with him following the 2009 postseason. Indianapolis signed Stover on October 14 to cover for Adam Vinatieri who had arthroscopic surgery. Vinatieri is expected to be healthy for the 2010 season. Stover started 10 games, completed nine of 11 field goal attempts, and made 33 consecutive extra points during the regular season. At 42, Stover became the oldest player to participate in a Super Bowl. He connected on seven extra points and made his first six postseason kicks, including one in the Super Bowl before missing a 51-yard attempt that went wide left in third quarter.

Stover began his career with the Cleveland Browns where he spent five seasons before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 1996. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2000 and ranks No. 4 all-time among kickers with 2,004 career points and 471 field goals made. Stover’s contract expired at the end of the 2008 season and he received a guaranteed offer to kick for the New York Jets. The Ravens told him to take the Jets offer, which Stover eventually declined because it would cost longtime friend Jay Feely his job.

Despite Stover’s rather unceremonious departure from the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh said during a January postseason press conference that there was a possibility that Stover could return to the team in 2010. While Stover’s agent Jim Steiner thinks it’s unlikely that his client will be a Raven again, Stover is keeping his options open and he believes he still has what it takes to make big field goals and help a playoff contender. Stover has made it clear that retirement is an option if he can’t land a contract in what he terms a “family-friendly environment.” He resides in Baltimore with his wife and three children and spent the 2009 season commuting back and forth between Indianapolis and Baltimore – a situation Stover would like to avoid in the future.  He hopes to get picked up by a team in April or May.

His impeccable credentials notwithstanding, we think that Stover’s age will prevent him from securing a job as a team’s starting kicker before clubs head to training camp.  In all likelihood, Stover’s best chance for securing a gig in 2010 will be as an injury replacement, and if he’s unwilling to accept this, then he might well have kicked his last kick in the NFL.  Unless and until Stover finds a team to kick for, don’t even think about drafting him for your fantasy football team.

Neil Rackers | Arizona Cardinals | FA Type: UFA | 2010 Age: 34.1

When Kurt Warner took over as the starting quarterback in 2005, the Cardinals offense had no trouble moving the football and over a four year span Rackers was one of the league’s most used kickers. From 2005-2008, Rackers had at least 110 points in every season and he converted on 114 field goals and 171 extra points. In 2005, Rackers set an NFL record when he connected on 40 field goals and during that season his 95.2 field goal percentage led all kickers.

Rackers has called Arizona home for the past seven years; however, the ten year veteran is a unrestricted free agent and his production during the 2009 season might not have been enough for Arizona to re-sign him at all costs. His 94.1 field goal percentage once again led all kickers, but the soon to be 34-year old missed two games to injury and in 14 games he attempted just 17 field goals. While the primary reason for his lack of opportunity was the Cardinals efficiency at finding the end zone, another factor could be a potential decline in kicking power. Rackers saw just seven kicking chances from 40+ yards (none from 50+ yards). This is nowhere near the amount he attempted in his prime when Rackers set the NFL record for made field goals in a season he converted on 19 of 21 chance from 40 yards and beyond. Though it’s tough to speculate, it looks like a case in which the Cardinals have lost confidence in Rackers for long FG attempts.

Arizona expressed interest in bringing Rackers back for an eighth season only if the price is right. With a reasonable number of quality options available via free agency, the Cardinals feel they don’t have to invest big dollars to obtain a veteran kicker. The team entertained Jay Feely on March 22 and will continue to explore the open market until they make a final decision. Rackers isn’t wasting any time either. He visited the Baltimore Ravens on March 23 and with a handful of teams needing a reliable kickers, we expect his phone to be ringing quite often as the kicking situation around the league starts to heat up. 

Despite having a down year we feel that Rackers has enough in the leg to be a productive NFL kicker; however, with fantasy football leagues rewarding bonus points for longer field goals his days as a “must start” kickers are behind him. In 2010, your best bet would be to use him as a bye week filler.

Shaun Suisham | Dallas Cowboys | FA Type: UFA | 2010 Age: 28.9

Among the biggest misconceptions that NFL fans have is that being a kicker is an easy task. Sure, the average time a kicker spends on the field throughout the game is less than any other position; however, the pressure that comes with the job is second to none. A quarterback throwing an interception, or a wide receiver dropping a pass has a chance to redeem a kicker must be clutch every time they take the field. With few chances to redeem themselves a kickers margin for error is thin and a missed field goal could lead to a pink slip the next day. Don’t believe us…just ask Shaun Suisham.

Suisham spent the first two years of his career being an injury replacement kicker on both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. In 2006, as a member of the Redskins, Suisham finished off the season making eight of nine field goals and was handed the starting job the following season. In his first full season the Canadian native converted on 82.9 percent of his kicks and made the Redskins believe they had found a franchise kicker. Instead of building on his success Suisham took a step backward and in 2008 he missed 10 field goals. Entering 2009 on a short leash, the four-year pro caught fire and nailed his first 13 field goal attempts but whenever the going got tough Suisham failed to deliver. After missing two game winning kicks in a three week span the Redskins had seen enough and decided to sever the ties with the reeling kicker.

Like most kickers with considerable NFL experience it didn’t take Suisham long to land a new job. After Nick Folk struggled to make kicks in Dallas, the Cowboys released Folk and decided to re-sign Suisham while being in the thick of a NFC playoff race. Despite the change of uniform, Suisham couldn’t find his groove and in four games (two playoff games) with the Cowboys he missed three kicks. In all, he connected on five of eight field goals but it was his two misses in the NFC Divisional Round that left a bitter taste with owner Jerry Jones and put the place kickers status with the team in jeopardy.

When Dallas decided to decline Suisham a tender on March 5 the 28-year old became a unrestricted free agent and has the ability to sign with any team around the NFL. The only problem is the lack of teams expressing interest in Suisham. He has converted only 76.7 percent of his kicks over the last two years, has proven he can’t kick in the clutch and has limited kicking range. We expect Suisham to starts the 2010 season without a job and wait around until an NFL team comes calling. With injuries and teams placing a short leash on the kicking position, odds are likely Suisham will get an opportunity; however, we don’t recommend fantasy football owners target him.

2010 Free Agent Breakdown:  QB  |  RB  | WR |  TE  |  K 

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