| Thursday, April 27
By Mark Cannizzaro
Special to ESPN.com |
|
When the Oakland Raiders' first-round selection selection was announced to
the crowd at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on April 15 you could hear
the audible gasps from the Black and Silver devout from New York to Oakland
and beyond.
|  | | Sebastian Janikowski wants to prove he's a good kicker and an even better person. |
Sebastian Janikowski?
A kicker?
Someone with a recent history so checkered he's not even a lock to be in uniform on opening day because of a pending court case?
This in the first round?
The negative energy surged throughout Raiderland, a montage of "Here we go
again" thoughts engulfing the minds of the Oakland football faithful, whose
passion never fades despite close loss after close loss and missed playoffs
after missed playoffs.
Certainly selecting a kicker with a first-round draft pick shows a murky
history of success (or lack thereof). And clearly, with a number of other
every-down needs such as wide receiver, choosing a kicker with the team's only
first-round pick is risky and questionable at best.
That the Raiders became only the fourth team in NFL history since the
beginning of the collegiate draft in 1936 to pick a kicker is evidence that
this is far from an exact science.
Of the previous three first-round picks who were kickers -- the Washington
Redskins' Charlie Gogolak (in 1966), the St. Louis Cardinals' Steve Little
('78) and the New Orleans Saints' Russell Erxleben ('79) -- none lasted more
than five seasons with the team that drafted him or was ever considered very
productive.
Optimistic Raiders fans, however, remember Oakland drafting a punter named
Ray Guy some 27 years ago. Guy turned out to be not only a dominant force for
Oakland and a player who revolutioned his position, but one of the best the
game has ever seen.
The Raiders, based on their scouting and research and based on the player's
raw and rare skills, believe Janikowski has potential to be an all-time great.
And, given their horrible kicking game during the last few years -- one that
the Raiders believe has outright prevented them from reaching the playoffs --
they believe the addition of Janikowski will put this team over the top and
make it an instant playoff contender.
|
“ |
I
don't recall a kicker with these credentials coming
out since I've been in the league. (Janikowski
has) tremendous range, tremendous hang time. There's no telling when this guy comes
off the board. ” |
|
|
— Jon Gruden |
Last season, Raiders kickers Michael Husted and Joe Nedney combined to
make only 23 of 36 field-goal attempts (63.9 percent). Seven of those misses
were from 45 yards or closer, including three from 32.
Also, Husted and Nedney missed kicks in seven of Oakland's eight
losses -- all by seven points or fewer -- that could have been game-winners
or changed the direction of those games.
In 1998, Greg Davis finished 29th out of 31 NFL kickers in field-goal
accuracy (a pathetic 63 percent), and in 1997, Cole Ford finished a
league-worst 30th (59.1) in field-goal percentage.
Janikowski's credentials make you believe that the Raiders' kicking woes are
finished.
Last season, Janikowski made 23 of 30 overall field goals and didn't miss a
single attempt from 45 yards or shorter.
More positives:
Janikowski was the winner of the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top
place-kicker his sophomore and junior seasons.
He was named to Walter Camp, Football News and Football Writers of
America first-team All-America teams his junior season.
Fifty-seven of 83 kickoffs went for touchbacks during the regular season
in 1999. Only two of the 26 returned made it past the 24-yard line.
He made 66 of 83 field goals and 126 of 129 extra points
during his three seasons at Florida State.
Now, the negatives:
In August of 1998, he got into a fight outside a Tallahassee bar. He
was cited for failure to leave the premises. Janikowski pleaded no contest
to the misdemeanor and paid $295 in court costs.
Three months later, he got into another fight outside a local bar.
No charges were filed because police could not determine who started the
fight.
In January of '99, he was arrested and charged with underage alcohol
possession. He paid $215 in court costs and collected garbage for one
day after pleading no contest.
He was also slapped on the wrist for breaking curfew one night the
week before this year's national championship game. Florida State coach Bobby
Bowden did not start Janikowski in the game but let him play.
And last -- but not least -- Janikoswki was arrested last Jan. 23 for
allegedly offering a police officer $300 in exchange for letting a roommate
off the hook after he was arrested for trespassing at a Tallahassee, Fla.,
nightclub when refused to leave. For this, if convicted, Janikowski could face
deportation to his native Poland as well as five years in prison and a
$5,000 fine.
|
“ |
People think of my image because I
went out a couple of times and what happened
after. I put it behind me right now. But I do know
I'm not (a bad person). I just want people to
know, I just want people to learn about me a little
more. I just want to show people what kind of
image I have. ” |
|
|
— Sebastian Janikowski |
With Janikowski opting against a plea bargain and instead prefering a trial,
the case is scheduled to be heard the week of June 12, with jury selection
expected to take one day and the trial held one day later that week. There
will be a hearing June 8 to determine if the case is going to trial.
Other than all of these issues, and despite the rampant snickering from
people around the league for Oakland's controversial pick with many believing
the Raiders could have gotten the kicker in the second round, Raiders coach
Jon Gruden is convinced he's got the steal of the draft.
"It was more than logical for us to make this pick," Gruden
said. "This is something that we need here. This is something we
desperately needed to improve on. This guy improves us. We're confident that
he can do that for a long period of time, and for that reason we felt he was
more than worthy of a first-round pick.
"I look at this guy as being so unique," Gruden went on. "Not only is he a
blue-chip kicker, but his ability was so impressive. I don't recall a
kicker with these credentials coming out since I've been in the league.
(He has) tremendous range, tremendous hang time. There's no telling when
this guy comes off the board. ... We did not feel it was worth risking
not taking him right there at No. 17."
Gruden said Janikowski's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine was so
astounding he couldn't pass him up.
"I don't believe he missed a kick," Gruden said. "He kicked for about 35 or
40 minutes -- extra points, field goals, even his kickoffs were going through
the goal posts. He put on an orbital display at Indianapolis. I can still
hear and feel the thump when he kicked that football. It was incredible."
The 22-year-old Janikowski, who has unique size for a kicker (6-foot-1, 263
pounds) has said he understands not only the pressure of this being a last
chance but the pressure of being drafted so high.
"That's a big chance for a team picking somebody like me," Janikowski said
on draft day. "After all, I'm changing my life right now. I'm just excited. I
can't wait to get there and do my job."
"People think of my image because I went out a couple of times and what
happened after," Janikowski said of his salty reputation. "I put it behind
me right now. But I do know I'm not (a bad person). I just want people to
know, I just want people to learn about me a little more. I just want to show
people what kind of image I have."
He's due to attend minicamp camp late this week and there will be many
eyes cast upon this unique and volatile talent.
Young may be Mile High-bound
The more time passes the more obvious it appears that Steve Young will
continue his playing career despite his numerous concussions -- but not with
the 49ers. Speculation is running rampant that Young will end up with the
quarterback-starved Denver Broncos.
| |  | |
| Young |
The Broncos, whose Super Bowl dreams were dashed last year with John Elway's
retirement and Terrell Davis' knee injury, cannot win with Brian Griese at
quarterback. Young, whom the 49ers don't want playing for them because of his
huge salary cap number and because of the concussion risks, is expected to be
let go.
Speculation has it that the 49ers will try to get out of the marriage as
gracefully as possible by failing Young in his yearly physical.
Young already has a relationship with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, a former
49ers offensive coach, and the Broncos have in place a decent offensive line
to help protect Young.
Jets now interested in Rice
In another intriguing 49ers issue, there's some question whether Young's
Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice will remain in San Francisco. Rice is
scheduled to count for $5.49 million on the 2000 salary cap and the 49ers are
currently being strangled by that cap.
Insiders with the Jets, though they acknowledge that it's somewhat of a
"fantasy," say they'd certainly be interested in acquiring Rice should he
become available. The question for the Jets, though, is this: How would they
fit Rice in under their salary cap?
Even though the 37-year-old Rice is near the end of his career, he's
certainly not going to play for anywhere near the minimum.
| |  | |
| Rice |
The Jets, meanwhile, are believed to be about $3 million or so under the cap
and it's projected that signing their draft picks will cost about $6 million
of the cap money. Doing the math, players are going to have to be cut or have
their salaries cut for the Jets to merely get their draft choices in camp.
They will, however, have to fit some veteran receiver into that equation and
it might as well be Rice … if the 49ers part with him.
If not Rice, the Jets have their eye on the Carl Pickens-Cincinnati Bengals
situation. There's no way Pickens is going to play for Bruce Coslet again, so
it's merely a matter of what the Bengals decide to do with their malcontent
receiver.
With Cincinnati certain not to get much in return for Pickens because it has
no leverage (every team in the NFL knows the Bengals want to rid themselves
of him), it's growing more realistic that the Bengals will wait until well into
the summer to release him so Pickens can't have his choice of the litter in
terms of finding the perfect team for him.
The Jets, meanwhile, continue to monitor the situation. Pickens is one of
several players on coach Al Groh's short list of receivers the team may sign
when the player becomes available.
Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes an AFC notebook every other Thursday for ESPN.com. |  |
AFC: Sign of the times?
