Offseason Review: The Kicking Specialists

gouldpodleshmannellyI’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t exactly a sexy area in which to begin. But the importance of special teams is more than just a cliche for Sunday morning talking heads. Beyond the obvious importance of converting field goals, special teams play factors into numerous other areas of the game. Field position is actually important; I know it’s hard to believe having watched the Bears give up chunks of yards on first down running plays, but teams do sometimes successfully pin other teams deep in their own territory and then keep them there. And having watched Devin Hester for his entire career, it’s obvious what a difference a dynamic return man can make.

I think it’s safe to say that the Bears special teams took a step back this year. Longtime special teams coordinator Dave Toub left for the Chiefs, and he was replaced by former Cowboys special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis. (I’ll always remember Toub fondly. Not only did his units block and tackle with discipline, but he designed perhaps the greatest trick return play of all time; the fact that it was overruled by a fairly bogus penalty still irritates me. As does the fact that he used it in that situation, as opposed to saving it for a situation in which a return might win a game outright. As does Joe Buck totally no-selling one of the coolest football plays I’ve ever seen. But I digress.)

I don’t think DeCamillis is a poor coach, I just think the injury bug that bit the Bears defense had a trickle-down effect, as special teams stalwarts were forced into more full-time defensive action, (Jon Bostic strikes me as a player who could have been a big-hitter on special teams) and lesser players were forced into special teams duties. There were a few bright spots, including Devin Hester racking up his biggest return yardage total since his masterful 2007 season (more on him later.) But there were a few obvious negatives, including the play of the first player I’ll spotlight in this series.

Adam Podlesh, P

To put it mildly, it was a rough year for Adam. His punting average was a meager 40.6 yards, which ranked last out of 33 qualified punters on ESPN’s database. His net average of 37.9 ranked just 29th. I know I mentioned in the preview piece that a lot of football stats are context dependent; how far the punter can boot the ball isn’t really one of those stats, and it’s also one of the most important measures for a punter. To Adam’s credit, he recorded only two touchbacks, one of the lowest totals in the league, while ranking in the middle of the pack for punts inside the twenty yard line. He also ranked 6th in return yards against, which can be seen as a credit to the Bears coverage units and Podlesh’s directional kicking abilities, or it could be seen as a sign that he was shanking kicks out of bounds or getting such pitiful distance that opposing returners had no chance to run before the coverage was on top of them. Indeed, Podlesh’s punts resulted in 25 fair catches, tied for third-most in the NFL.

According to Spotrac, Podlesh will count $1.825 million against the cap next season, with $800,000 in dead money. Meaning, if I understand the cap rules correctly, that the Bears could cut him and save about $1 million in cap room; that might be enough to sign a new punter, who by definition could not have a worse leg than Podlesh. (Last place is last place.) In fact, the Bears already signed a potential training camp competitor in Drew Butler. I think the writing is on the wall for Podlesh, and I’d be very surprised if the Bears didn’t look to improve the position.

Robbie Gould, K

This debate might have been more interesting had Gould hit free agency, but as you’re all probably aware, he instead signed a contract that will keep him in Chicago for the foreseeable future. Gould is one of the most accurate kickers in the history of the league, and he plays his home games in a relatively unfriendly (and occasionally downright hostile) kicking environment. This year was a bit of a reestablishment campaign for Robbie, who actually missed three games at the end of 2012 with a leg injury. (Remember Olindo Mare kicking for the Bears? That served as a nice reminder for me that it’s a luxury to be fully confident in your favorite team’s kicker. If you need another reminder, just think of Paul Edinger turning his back to the goalposts.) And of course, beyond the recovery, it was a contract year as well.

He responded well, going 26 for 29, with two of those misses happening in one game, the road loss to Minnesota. One of them was an end of regulation attempt from 65 yards (which would have been the longest kick in NFL history), the other a fateful overtime miss from 47. (Hey, did you know the Bears tried it on second down? That’s a story I feel went way too far under the radar.) If my math is correct, that means he missed just once over the remaining 15 games. That kind of reliability, and a proven ability to kick successfully at Soldier Field, motivated the Bears to give Gould his new contract. It’s a pricey move, but it’s one I applaud. He’s a great player, and should remain effective throughout the course of his deal.

Patrick Mannelly, LS

If you want to impress your friends (or annoy them beyond belief; it really depends on the type of friends you have) see if they know which player has played the most games as a Bear. The answer? Patrick Mannelly, who has been the team’s long snapper since 1998. (He also holds the record for most seasons as a Bear.) Mannelly is 38, and I won’t pretend to have charted all the long snaps this season. But what I can say is that I don’t recall a bad one, which is always a good sign. In fact, the only time I ever remember thinking of Mannelly in a negative light is when he checked to an ill-advised fake punt against the Packers in 2009, and even that wasn’t really his fault.

If Mannelly wants to return and the Bears think he can still do the job, I see no reason not to let him. Long snapper strikes me as a position that is very easy to take for granted. But if you have a sub-par player at the position, it can really damage your team. (Nothing ruins a game-winning or game-tying field goal faster than a bad snap.)

And there you have the first group reviewed. Next up is the return man, Devin Hester; he was originally part of this post, but his section grew too unwieldy to include here, so he gets his own spotlight tomorrow.

 

 

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more bears news

Final 2024 NFL Mock Draft: How Will The 1st Round Unfold In Detroit?

Draft Day is finally here! We've taken quite a few cracks at what the first round could look like, and this will be the last one before the NFL Draft kicks off tonight! It still feels like a really unpredictable...

Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft Fits: Running Backs and Linebackers

The 2024 NFL Draft begins TODAY. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Head Coach Matt Eberflus, and others will put their heads together to come up with a winning plan for the team’s four picks (Nos....

Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft Fits: Defensive Linemen

The 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Head Coach Matt Eberflus, and others will put their heads together to come up with a winning plan for the team’s four picks (Nos....

Caleb Williams Shares Who He’d Take With the No. 9 Pick

The Chicago Bears drafting Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is a foregone conclusion. However, what happens with the Bears' other first-round pick is anything but a lock. One name we haven't discussed much as...

Happy NFL Draft Day! (And Other Bears Bullets)

Today is the day we've been waiting for since the NFL regular season ended. It's NFL Draft Day! The Chicago Bears have the first pick. Unless something unexpected happens, it'll be USC quarterback Caleb Williams getting the nod. Now that...

And Now Penei Sewell Has Signed a MASSIVE Extension With The Lions

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is hard at work today! It's fitting that just a day before the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off in Detroit, the Lions have locked up two franchise, homegrown cornerstones just hours apart. This morning,...

Take a Look at the New Chicago Bears Stadium Renderings

The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for their downtown lakefront stadium proposal on Wednesday. And as you might expect, it is very kind on the eyes: https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1783185834490888461 The Bears even gave the project a code name — The Burnham Park Project: The...

Amon-Ra St. Brown Signs MASSIVE Extention With Lions

We have a new highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL! According to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Lions have made Amon-Ra St. Brown the richest wideout in the NFL with a four-year, $120 million contract extension...

Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft Fits: Offensive Linemen

The 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Head Coach Matt Eberflus, and others will put their heads together to come up with a winning plan for the team’s four picks (Nos....

Stadium Stuff, Rome and Caleb, New Bears Hires, and Other Bears Bullets

The 2024 NFL Draft is just one day away. Soon, we'll get to hear those magic words: "The Chicago Bears are on the clock." And they'll mean something! ICYMI: The Bears, who are set to have a press conference at...

Latest News

YES!! Blackhawks, Alex Vlasic Agree on Six-Year Extension

We've been waiting for it. Begging for it. And now, it's done. The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a contract extension to keep defenseman Alex Vlasic in the fold for a long time. Vlasic has reportedly agreed to a six-year,...

Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft Fits: Running Backs and Linebackers

The 2024 NFL Draft begins TODAY. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Head Coach Matt Eberflus, and others will put their heads together to come up with a winning plan for the team’s four picks (Nos....

Yankees vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, April 25, 2024

The New York Yankees (17-8), led by the red-hot Anthony Rizzo and his two-game homer streak, are -272 favorites to pick up a win over the Oakland Athletics (9-16) Thursday at 7:05 PM ET, live from Yankee Stadium and broadcast...

Prioritizing the Cleveland Browns NFL Draft: Top 5 Positions to Address NOW

As the NFL Draft approaches, the Cleveland Browns are at a pivotal juncture, with the opportunity to bolster their roster through strategic selections. The draft presents a prime opportunity for the Browns to address key positions that could significantly impact...

The Leadoff Role, Cubs Front Office is Not Particularly Well-Liked? And Other Cubs Bullets

It's a pretty big day for the Chicago Bears, eh? For the second year in a row, they own the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Only this time, they actually plan to use it (and on a quarterback,...

Yankees vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – April 25

The New York Yankees (17-8) face the Oakland Athletics (9-16) at home at 7:05 PM ET on Thursday.The probable starters are Nestor Cortes Jr. (1-1) for the Yankees and Alex Wood (0-2) for the Athletics.Yankees vs. Athletics Pitcher Matchup and...

Caleb Williams Shares Who He’d Take With the No. 9 Pick

The Chicago Bears drafting Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is a foregone conclusion. However, what happens with the Bears' other first-round pick is anything but a lock. One name we haven't discussed much as...

Nuggets at Lakers Odds, LeBron and Jokic Props, and More for Tonight

The Denver Nuggets hold a 2-0 lead over the Lakers as their series continues tonight. Check out the odds for the game along with some props for LeBron James and Nikola Jokic as the NBA playoffs roll on. Nuggets at...

Final 2024 NFL Mock Draft: How Will The 1st Round Unfold In Detroit?

Draft Day is finally here! We've taken quite a few cracks at what the first round could look like, and this will be the last one before the NFL Draft kicks off tonight! It still feels like a really unpredictable...

Latest 2024 NFL Draft Specials, Top Props, and More For the First Round Tonight

As the 2024 NFL Draft unfolds tonight, the sports betting landscape is buzzing with anticipation. Fans and bettors alike are gearing up for one of the most exciting events in the football calendar, with a plethora of draft specials, prop...

more bears news