The Packer Pundit

Articles and Opinions on why Rayner was released.

Rayner disappointed by departure
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
GREEN BAY — Dave Rayner knows he did just about everything he could have done to keep his job, and he has no doubts he'll be kicking in the NFL this year. Still, the former Green Bay Packers kicker would have liked to have kept his gig in Green Bay. And the way he figures it, rookie sixth-round pick Mason Crosby, who ended up beating him out, had the advantage all along. "Even if I would have kicked even better than I did, I think he was going to win the job from Day One as long as he kicked (well enough)," Rayner said Saturday night, after he was one of 20 cuts made by the club in the final roster reduction. "I wanted to be here, still. But I was running uphill these whole couple months. It's a little political, I think. I don't think I did anything to lose the job. They drafted (Crosby) and obviously, that was the tiebreaker there. We were so close throughout camp, so I think it came down to a little bit of money, maybe not wanting to look silly by drafting a guy (and then cutting him)." More>>


Related Articles --
Kicker Rayner gets booted
Rayner says he fought uphill battle





Kicker shouldn't have been
Only heated position battle
By Mike Vandermause / greenbaypostgazette.com
Posted 9-2-2007 / Story Link
It's possible rookie place-kicker Mason Crosby will enjoy a long and prosperous NFL career. That's what the Green Bay Packers are hoping after jettisoning incumbent kicker Dave Rayner, one of the team's more reliable performers in 2006. Crosby won a narrow decision over Rayner in training camp. He slightly was more accurate in practice and showed tremendous potential with kicks that seemed to explode off his foot. Crosby has a compact kicking motion that could serve him well. But this was far from a one-sided duel. Rayner booted longer kickoffs and was 3-for-3 in preseason games, compared to Crosby's 3-for-4 mark. Rayner also was a proven commodity. Last December he nailed a game-winning, 44-yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings on a cold, wet track at Lambeau Field. Rayner's solid season also included a franchise-record tying 54-yard field goal and the most touchbacks (11) of any Packers kicker in a decade. That's why it was puzzling when the team used a sixth-round draft choice on Crosby last April. The obvious question was, why spend a draft pick on a position that is already well stocked? After the draft, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson replied: "It was a way to bring in competition. I think that's important."

That pro-active approach is laudable, but it begs another question. If competition is so important, why did Thompson not provide more of it at positions crying out for help? The special teams needed keen competition for a return man more than a kicker. There hasn't been a bona fide returner in Green Bay since Allen Rossum left in free agency following the 2001 season. The Packers ranked 24th on punt returns and an abysmal 31st on kickoff returns in 2006. They have just one special teams return for a touchdown in the last five years. Yes, Thompson drafted speedy receiver David Clowney in the fifth round with special teams in mind, but it should be noted Clowney, who was cut on Saturday, returned just five kickoffs in three years at Virginia Tech.

The tight end position also was in desperate need of an upgrade. If anyone deserved competition, it was Donald Lee and Bubba Franks, who combined for just 35 catches last season. But with no other serious starting candidates on the roster, Lee and Franks were guaranteed jobs before training camp started. There were other positions where little, if any competition existed for starting jobs. No Packers' starting offensive lineman or linebacker had to worry about his job security. Those first-team units are solid, but the Packers have to be scared stiff at the prospect of a front-line player suffering a serious injury. The Packers boast one of the best starting cornerback tandems in the league, but the No. 3 and No. 4 players at that position —Will Blackmon and Jarrett Bush —never have started an NFL game. No running back on the roster has distinguished himself, either because of injury or inexperience. The six backs have combined for two NFL starts. Determining the No. 1 halfback for next week's regular-season opener might not be based on talent as much as which player is healthy enough to stand. As for the Packers' new kicker, he earned a job fair and square. But there's no guarantee Crosby will be a significant improvement over Rayner. He still has a lot to prove. The same can be said for Thompson in his attempts to upgrade the roster.