Derr lands with Falcons....

[Big Zip]

Falcons pin hopes on rookie kickersD. Orlando Ledbetter - StaffSunday, June 4, 2006The Falcons' defense has been retooled. The offense has added highly respected quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. In the flurry of offseason moves, little attention has been paid to one of the most important positions --- place-kicker. "When you have as much money committed as we have offensively and defensively, you're not going to be able to sign everybody that you want," Falcons special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said. "[Former New England kicker] Adam Vinatieri got a $2 million signing bonus. I think [former Indianapolis kicker Mike] Vanderjagt got $1.8 [million] or something like that. Yeah, you feel comfortable with those guys, but as I remember Vanderjagt's last kick, he missed." The master plan In games decided by three points or fewer, the Falcons were 1-3 on their way to an 8-8 mark last season. During their march to the NFC championship game in 2004 and a 12-6 record, they were 5-1 in those type of games. After deciding not to re-sign Todd Peterson, the Falcons are planning to enter the season with an untested kicker. They released kickers Seth Marler and Ryan Rossner on May 19, setting up a training camp battle between Zac Derr and Tony Yelk. "We'll let those two compete, fight it out, and if we feel like we need to sign a veteran going into training camp or after training camp, we will," DeCamillis said. "But we want a young kicker to be able to make it just like we had with [punter] Michael Koenen last year." Peterson's average made field goal last season was 31.6 yards. The Falcons used Koenen on some longer field goal attempts. The hope is that either Derr or Yelk can handle all of the field goal chores, with Koenen doing the punting and kickoffs. The guru One Falcons move that went nearly unnoticed was the addition of assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman, a noted punter/kicking guru. After going to Dallas with Jimmy Johnson from the University of Miami, Hoffman developed kickers from 1989-2004. He's likely one the reasons the Falcons are comfortable with trying to go with an untested kicker. At Dallas, Hoffman had seven rookie or first-year free-agent kickers, five of which kicked 18 field goals in their first season. "He's a guy that I followed," DeCamillis said. "When I first came in the league I was with the Giants, and Coach Hoffman was there with Dallas. Every couple of years they kept bringing in young guys, and they always got the same kind of production." Hoffman spent last season working as a consultant. He tutored Koenen and Green Bay punter B.J. Sanders. Hoffman punted in the USFL for the Washington Federals and failed to catch on in the NFL with Washington, Seattle and New Orleans. "It just kind of evolved from being around it as a punter myself, just from instructing at youth camps and seeing all of the things that the good ones do and all of the things the bad ones do," Hoffman said of his move into coaching. Veteran fall-back If Derr or Yelk falter, there are a few veterans --- including Peterson --- ready to come to the rescue. "If you just bail out, it would be easy to say, 'Aw let's go get a guy who's done it a while,' " Hoffman said. "Some of the guys that have done it for a little while haven't done it really great." Paul Edinger, who has played six seasons with Chicago and Minnesota, is the top unsigned veteran kicker. "We're getting calls from other guys, too," Hoffman said. "Heck, Morten Andersen still wants a shot." Andersen, a former Falcons kicker, turns 46 in August and last kicked in 2004 for Minnesota. In addition to the veterans, the Falcons will keep an eye on the waiver wires for possible kickers. Dallas figures to cut Shaun Suisham after signing Vanderjagt as a free agent. "By the end of August there is going to be somebody out there that's kicking pretty good," Hoffman said. "Hopefully, it's one of these two kickers for us." THE CANDIDATES Patience will be key for the Falcons in selecting a new kicker. "The thing is, if you want a young kicker you have to see it through to the end," Steve Hoffman said. Both kickers appear to have lively legs. Both were stroking 50-yarders with ease on Tuesday and Wednesday at the team's organized training activities. "Right now these two look like they have very similar range to what Michael [Koenen] had last year," DeCamillis said. ZAC DERR > College: Akron > Height, weight: 5-7, 155 > Age: 27 > Pro experience: None. Signed by Falcons on April 10. Spent some time in camp with the Dallas Cowboys. > The skinny: "Zac Derr has some tremendous potential in the way he hits the ball," Hoffman said. "He gets the ball up better than anybody that I've ever had as far as height and trajectory. He gets the ball up quick. He has more power than you would ever expect out of a guy his size. Now he just has to get more consistent." TONY YELK > College: Iowa State > Height, weight: 6-1, 205 > Age: 24 > Pro experience: None. Signed as rookie free agent on May 1. > The skinny: Booted a 51-yarder last season for the Cyclones. "Tony has impressed us with just the way that he handles it all," Hoffman said. "He's got that innate calmness. He just hits the ball straight. He doesn't worry about how far it goes. He doesn't worry about how far Zac's ball goes on the kick before him. For his age, he's way ahead of guys that I've ever had."

[ziptrumpet87]

Zac's a great guy. I wish him the best of luck!

[Hilltopper]

Zac is a great guy from a nice family. His parents sat next to us during his stay at the university. He is married to a former Zips Dance Team hottie. Good luck Zac!

[a-zip]

Hope he makes it!!

Edited September 20, 2024 by a-zip