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PK John Kasay, Carolina Panthers
HT: 5-10, WT: 198, Born: 10-27-1969, College: Georgia, Drafted: Round 4
2008 Projections
Best Case
... Kasay keeps on doing what he usually does. The Panthers entered the NFL in 1995, and except when injured, Kasay has been their kicker the entire time. He normally hits over 80% on field goals, including 85.7% (24 of 28) last year, 88.9% (24 of 27) in 2006, 86.4% in 2004 and 84.2% in 2003. In 2005 he dropped to 76.5%, however all of his misses were from over 40 yards including five from over 50 yards. A key moment during a game in 2004 demonstrated his leadership and boldness, traits not normally associated with kickers. When a field goal was negated due to holding penalty and the ball was moved back, the coaches sent in the punting unit. Kasay waived them back off the field, and then connected on a 50 yard field goal. He finished the day 6 of 6 on field goals, plus two extra points.
Worst Case
... The offense keeps on doing what they did the last two years. The Panthers have ranked 27th in attempted kicking points each of the last two years. Another potential area of concern is Kasay's age as he is entering his 18th season in the NFL. From 2004 to 2006 he was perfect on field goals under 40 yards. Last year he missed attempts from 40 and 37 yards. Last year also saw a decline in his kickoffs, as he averaged 60.5 yards and had only two touchbacks. The team signed strong legged Rhys Lloyd during the offseason, perhaps an indication that they are considering relieving Kasay of kickoff duties.
Outlook
Kasay played in all 16 games the last three years, which is actually noteworthy. He had dealt with various injuries for several years. The prior time that he played three full consecutive seasons was 1996 to 1998. Also noteworthy is the fact that Kasay made all his PATs the last two years. He had trouble being perfect on PATs the prior five years. The Panthers and Kasay have been up and down in kicker scoring in recent years. They finished 2005 with 121 kicking points, ranking fifth in the NFL. They also ranked fifth in 2003, their Super Bowl appearance year. In 2004 they slipped to 18th, and finished 24th and 23rd the last two years. For 2008 the coaching staff remains intact. Kasay's prospects hinge of course on whether the offense can regroup after two slow years and once again provide scoring opportunities.
