Posted on 03/23/2006 7:22:33 AM PST by mainepatsfan
Vanderjagt to sign with Cowboys
Posted: Thursday March 23, 2006 9:40AM; Updated: Thursday March 23, 2006 9:53AM
By Don Banks, SI.com
Mike Vanderjagt, who was not welcomed back to Indianapolis this offseason despite being the most accurate kicker in NFL history, has agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys, an NFL source confirmed to SI.com.
Terms of his deal with Dallas were not known, but Vanderjagt visited the Cowboys on Wednesday and agreed in principle to a contract that is expected to be completed and announced at some point Thursday.
Vanderjagt, who will be 36 on Friday, spent the past eight seasons in Indianapolis, and was 23- of-25 in field goal attempts in 2005, with a long of 48 yards. But that accuracy did not count for much in an AFC divisional playoff game against the Steelers when he badly missed a 46-yard attempt on the final drive. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl as the conference's No. 6 seed, while the top-seeded Colts, who were started 13-0, dealt with another bitter playoff disappointment.
Vanderjagt is the second headline-name kicker to switch teams this week, following Adam Vinatieri's signing with the Colts. The former Patriots star became the league's highest paid kicker when he received a five-year deal to replace Vanderjagt. The contract calls for a $3.5 million signing bonus, and is worth $7.5 million in the first three years.
The acquisition of Vanderjagt ends the Cowboys' revolving door at kicker. Dallas had three different kickers in 2005, and the 9-7 Cowboys lost three games by three points or less, narrowly missing the playoffs. Dallas kickers were just 20-of-28 overall last season, missing three from 38 yards or less.
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However, he is not worth an offensive tackle's weight in gold.
Agreed.
Michael Irvin had to retire because he kept trying to snort the yardline markers.
Certainly Manning hasn't stepped up in critical times either. But Manning is their franchise. Besides, the game against Pittsburg was probably the worst protection Manning got all year. Mannings complaining was not over the top, and he did accept much of the blame for the loss. Manning has a lot to prove in the playoffs before he gets mentioned with any of the all-time greats. But what other current player would you take over Manning? I wouldn't take Alexander or LT or Brady over Manning.
It's real hard to be an effective leader if your reaction to a loss is to look for others to blame. Even if there is enough blame to go around, the QB/captain/leader needs to suck it up and not point fingers.
But what other current player would you take over Manning? I wouldn't take Alexander or LT or Brady over Manning.
You can have Manning's stats. I'll take Roethlisberger's results.
SD
Isn't Kerry Collins available? Maybe we can sign him!
You'd keep a guy who hasn't been to the show, and won it, twice, over a guy like Brady who has?
Not me.
First TO and now this? Landry must be rolling in his grave!
Good Riddance...you can't convince us Colts fans that Vanderjagt lost us our last game ON PURPOSE....
Only if they can play. :) Field goal kicking was a huge problem for Dallas the last few years. In fact, it may be the biggest reason why Dallas missed the playoffs last season. Hopefully, these problems will now end.
I hated to see the Cowboys release Larry Allen. Offensive line was a weakness last season, and he was the only consistently good one they had. Now what?
I think they actually had Leaf and George in the late 1990s. Those were some ugly seasons.
Maybe they can still add LeVar Arrington if he hasn't already signed with someone else. He's brash, and he can play. He can fit in perfectly here.
Yes. I think it was Irvin's rookie season and Landry's last season. Landry had his share of obnoxious players as well. Both before and after Jerry Jones, the Cowboys way has been to try to find the best players regardless of personality issues. They deviated from this approach only briefly during the forgettable Chan Gailey era (when they passed on Randy Moss to draft Greg Ellis, among other things).
Oh, and I almost forgot about Tony Dorsett.
I think it was locker room issues. Manning couldn't stand VanderJagt, and the feeling was apparently mutual. Anyway, field goal kicking has been a nightmare in Dallas the last few seasons. Hopefully, that nightmare is now over. They still need help at safety and offensive line (and a few other places, but these are the most critical).
That was the day that I resumed being a season ticket holder. By 1988, the Cowboys were so bad that I doubt they could even beat Jimmy's Miami Hurricanes, much less most of the NFL competition.
Bill Parcells had Lawrence Taylor. We know how that turned out. This is a very good thing for Dallas, and not so good for the Eagles.
It was a really bad miss. A little too bad.
Tell Drew to duck.
Landry dealt with Duane Thomas, Bullet Bob Hayes, Thomas Hollywood Henderson, Clint "Suckerpunch" Longley (throwing a suckerpunch at Roger Staubach is not a smart career move), and Michael Irvin. He also had a string of tight ends that would have seemed more at home in an Oakland Raiders uniform than wearing the silver star.
I'm not a fan of TO at all, but I am cautiously optimistic that he will improve the Cowboys at least this year and probably for two years. If he actually finishes his 3-year contract with the Cowboys that will be gravy.
As for Vanderjact, he is an idiot but he knows how to kick field goals. He is a HUGE upgrade compared to what we've had the last few years at kicker.
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