Nagy defends Bears’ kicker search amid backlash
LAKE FOREST, Ailing. — Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy defended the style by which his group performed its offseason kicker search after a number of kickers who attended the rookie minicamp in Could on a tryout foundation and left with out a contract had been extremely crucial of the method.
“I perceive — we introduced in a number of kickers that got here in right here,” Nagy stated Wednesday. “To me, I take a look at it as a constructive, in the truth that we stated we’ll flip over each stone to search out whoever’s on the market. We felt like we, at that cut-off date, after we introduced in a bunch of kickers, we’ll take a look at all of them out and see what they will do.
“After which, inside that time-frame, we additionally put in some conditions with the Augusta silence early on to see how they may deal with it. Is it precisely the proper science? I do not know that, perhaps not … I simply actually like how we’re going by this factor. [Bears general manager] Ryan [Pace] and I discuss no regrets, proper?”
Sports activities Illustrated printed a narrative Wednesday that quoted a number of of the 9 kickers — a few of them anonymously — whom the Bears introduced in for an audition at rookie camp. The kickers’ vary of complaints included Nagy’s obsession with Cody Parkey’s missed 43-yard area objective try in Chicago’s playoff loss to the Eagles (the notorious double-doink), the best way the Bears used metrics to guage the kickers, the general adverse temper within the special-teams room and a perceived bias that concerned kicker marketing consultant Jamie Kohl, whom the Bears employed to assist them of their search.
Many, however not all, of the kickers invited to Halas Corridor had at one time kicked at considered one of Kohl’s camps.
“All of Jamie’s guys, they may have shanked the kick, and it was like, ‘Oh, you’ve actually good rotation, your foot is wrapping across the ball,'” one kicker advised SI. “I do not suppose this case will likely be solved or will likely be what the group must be till Jamie Kohl is gone. The way in which he very a lot tries to manage a room, tries to be the alpha.”
One other kicker added: “All of the vibes they gave us through the specialists conferences simply didn’t appear constructive in any way. It did not look like anybody did effectively. The vibe and the power was off.”
Former Notre Dame kicker Justin Yoon took situation with Nagy harping on Parkey’s 43-yard miss. The Bears repeatedly within the offseason program known as for his or her kickers to aim area targets from 43 yards.
“It isn’t environment friendly for the group to constantly beat that one useless horse the entire time,” Yoon stated. “It’s a must to construct a system of confidence on your kicker. I do not suppose that is how the Bears are operating it.”
The Bears ultimately whittled their checklist of kickers down to 2 firstly of coaching camp, however on Sunday, they waived Elliott Fry, which left Eddy Pineiro — acquired from the Raiders by way of a commerce — because the lone kicker left on Chicago’s present 90-man offseason roster.
The Bears need Pineiro to deal with all kicks within the remaining two preseason video games, however he has not been assured of the job. Pineiro, who spent final yr on injured reserve in Oakland, has by no means tried a kick in an NFL regular-season recreation.
“I actually do not imagine there is a kicker on the market that by no means misses in follow and within the video games,” Nagy stated. “It is the way you reply to it … so we maintain that in thoughts.
“Keep in mind what I advised you earlier than, it is very easy in Chicago as a head coach of the Chicago Bears, as a fan of the Chicago Bears, because the media of the Chicago Bears, because the group of the Chicago Bears, it is very easy for us to simply destroy each missed kick. And I believe now we have to maintain these issues in a little bit perspective and never get too loopy over a missed kick right here or there.”