[Curse Fire]

My 'Boys get there kicker Vanderjag with
a 3 year contract. The Dolphins perfect
season miht even be in trouble now,
Cowboys all the way next year baby!

[Illusion]

Great signing by the boys. They finally have a reliable kicker to count on. Dallas is gonna be dangerous this season.

[bigboydan]

this move was a great pickup for your cowboys Curse Fire. they really needed a stud kicker like Vanderjagt.

Cowboys sign Vanderjagt, NFL's most accurate kicker

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
March 23, 2006


Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's most accurate kicker who was no longer needed in Indianapolis, signed a three-year contract Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys.

Vanderjagt wasn't re-signed by the Colts, who instead signed Adam Vinatieri earlier this week. Vinatieri twice hit winning kicks in the Super Bowl for New England, but the Patriots allowed him to test free agency.

After depending so long on inexperienced or inexpensive kickers, the Cowboys didn't pass on Vanderjagt, a former Pro Bowl kicker and unrestricted free agent. A story posted on the Cowboys Web site reported that the deal was worth $5.4 million, including a $2.5 million signing bonus. Phone messages and an e-mail to the kicker's agent, Gil Scott, weren't returned.

Vanderjagt has the highest field goal accuracy rate in NFL history (217-of-245 kicks, 87.5 percent) and holds the record for making 42 straight. But on his last attempt for the Colts during the AFC divisional playoffs in January, he badly missed a 46-yarder that would have forced overtime against Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.

"Everyone kind of had it a foregone conclusion that Mike wouldn't be back, but you don't just get rid of guys without being able to replace them," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We were fortunate that we were able to replace him with a great, great kicker."

Indianapolis gave Vinatieri a five-year, $12 million deal with a $3.5 million signing bonus.

The Cowboys used three kickers last season, and missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Dallas lost twice by three points and had a one-point loss, and the kickers were a combined 20-of-28 on field goals with four misses under 40 yards.

Billy Cundiff was the Cowboys' primary kicker the past four seasons, making 60 of 82 field goals (73 percent) in 53 games. He was released after hurting his leg in training camp but returned in November for six games after Jose Cortez and Shaun Suisham kicked.

But Cundiff was inconsistent, making a team-record 56-yarder against Detroit in his first game back, then missing a 34-yard tiebreaking kick in the fourth quarter four days later against Denver, the Thanksgiving Day game the Cowboys lost in overtime. Cundiff was 5-for-8 and cut before the final game, and Suisham returned for the season finale.

In 2003, Cundiff tied an NFL record with seven field goals in a Monday night victory at the New York Giants.

Since Rafael Septien set most of the team's kicking records from 1978-86, there has been a long line of kickers through Dallas, including Richie Cunningham, Chris Boniol, Eddie Murray and high school teacher Tim Seder, among others. Cundiff was the only one who stayed more than three seasons.

Vanderjagt, who turns 36 Friday, spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Colts after playing in the Canadian Football League (1993, 1996-97) and a season in the Arena Football League. He scored a franchise-record 995 points in Indianapolis, where all his home games were played in a domed stadium.

"Mike was tremendous for us in the time that I was here," said Dungy, who just finished his fourth season in Indianapolis. "He made some kicks that won divisions for us, that won big games, overtime games, and I never thought that he was going to miss when we sent him out."

In 2003, Vanderjagt made all 37 of his field-goal attempts and all 46 extra points. He was 23-of-25 on field goals last season, his long kick being 48 yards.

Vanderjagt's career long field goal is 54 yards, and he's made 14 of 21 kicks from at least 50 yards. He has converted 344 of 346 extra points and scored at least 100 points every season. The last Cowboys kicker with 100 points was Seder with 108 in 2000.

Still, Vanderjagt had another big miss in December 2000 against Miami, when he was wide right on a 49-yard attempt in overtime that would have sent the Colts into the second round of the playoffs. He had field goals of 32, 26 and 50 yards in that game, which the Dolphins won 23-17.

Also Thursday, Dallas signed L.P. LaDouceur, a second-year defensive end who played in 13 games on special teams for the Cowboys last season.

AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

[The Great One]

Reliable kicker my ass. We couldn't wait to get that moron out of town. he only makes them when they don't count. When the games on the line, he'll screw it up. Not to mention, he can't kick off. We've always carried two kickers and wasted a roster spot for that.

If he was really that good, don't you think the Colts would have resigned him. Not to mention, the problems and crap he tried to start with Peyton. Although on the bright side, by week 10 when T.O. goes public with saying that Bledsoe just doesn't have it anymore and they would be undefeated if they had Patrick Ramsey, I'm sure Vanderjack will have his back on that.

[bigboydan]

the guy missed one kick! now granted, it was a very important kick. still though, you must admit that this guy was perty automatic though.

[The Great One]

the guy missed one kick! now granted, it was a very important kick. still though, you must admit that this guy was perty automatic though.

No, he missed the playoff kick against the Dolphins a few years back that could have put the game in OT.

After the Bucs. won the Super Bowl, the Colts played them on Monday night and after the greatest comeback in football history(21 points in 4 minuts). Vanderjact missed a field goal to put it in OT, but was saved by the ref. for some BS phanton penalty on Brooks that moved us closer and he made it then,.

Put it this way, the Colts are a pretty high character team. Thats good in some ways and bad in others. But Vanderjact as a kicker ruffled feathers all the time. He laughed about missing the playoff kick on Letterman and remember a few years ago, he acted like manning wasn't an NFL QB.

Remember, the Colts don't play too many close games. They've blown a number of teams out and rarely kick any feild goals to begin with. The Colts would be the perect job for a kicker, but he just isn't wanted anymore.

If you just go by percentages, Vandy was good, but some of that was because he wasn't put in bad situations much. Vinateri was brough in to make those clutch kicks not kick 7 PAT's a game.

[The Great One]

I didn't read the article except at the bottom, but it does talk about that kick in Miami. i was off on a couple details, but it was still a pressure kick he missed.

[Curse Fire]

My 'Boys will take a player that ruffels
feathes any day as long as they win. You
and your Colts can have fun sittign in
front of the tv next JAnuary watching the
playoffs.

[The Great One]

My 'Boys will take a player that ruffels
feathes any day as long as they win. You
and your Colts can have fun sittign in
front of the tv next JAnuary watching the
playoffs.

Yeah, cuase the Cowboys have proven year in and year out, they are a power in the NFL. LOL

TO just needs to get arrested for tracking cocaine, then he can go into the Cowboy Hall of Fame with Nate Newton and Michael Irvin.

Edit: I almost forgot the brain of the Cowboys: Leon Lett. Iwonder what he's doing these days. Probably went on to medical school or maybe while Newton is in prison, Lett took over his weed dealing.

Pathetic franchise no matter how you cut it. Come on Parcells, Bring Quincy Carter back. Hehehe

[bigboydan]

but it was still a pressure kick he missed.

he definately has the scott norwood tag on his back there in indy.

[Illusion]

Just remember, he's just a kicker. There's no reason to get to excited, lol.

[bigboydan]

Just remember, he's just a kicker. There's no reason to get to excited, lol.

god... you miss one FG, and you get run out of town