New York Jets: Dan Bailey should be picked up
Kicker Dan Bailey was released by the Cowboys, and the New York Jets should sign him immediately.
Special teams was a huge issue for the New York Jets in the preseason. It was so much an issue that they had to sign a kicker during the preseason. With the Cowboys cutting veteran kicker Dan Bailey, the Jets need to consider adding him to their roster.
The Jets had two kickers on their roster at the beginning of camp. They had to let go of Cairo Santos due to nagging injury issues, and they didn’t trust rookie Taylor Bertolet. So, that left them with Jason Myers.
Myers has a booming leg for kickoffs, but his accuracy on field goals leaves a lot to be desired. On field goals from 30-49 yards in his career, he’s made 87.2 percent, which is ok, but not what the Jets need. However, the Jets are also having kick coverage issues, which means they could use as many touchbacks as possible.
The Jets have two options with their kicking game right now with Bailey available. The first is to stand pat and hope that Myers can correct whatever accuracy issues he’s had in the past.
The second involves time and patience. Sign Bailey, cut Myers, and work with Lachlan Edwards on kickoffs, and eventually transition Edwards into a kickoff specialist role. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) four punters were top-ten graded kickoff specialists in 2017, with one ranking second. So, it wouldn’t be that far outside the norm.
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Field position in important, but signing Bailey is the best option for the Jets, because points are precious, and the team can’t afford to be unsure about the points. Even if you don’t think the playoffs are a possibility for the Jets, the right attitude is, and signing Bailey would send a message that winning is important, even in a season in which they are unlikely to make the playoffs.