David Akers

[iowajerms]

Should the 49ers get rid of David Akers after his horrible season or should they give him a trial season to prove himself since he is a year removed from kicking the most points in a season in NFL history?

 

[Kinzu]

Should the 49ers get rid of David Akers after his horrible season or should they give him a trial season to prove himself since he is a year removed from kicking the most points in a season in NFL history?

Akers should be back. Kickers have up and down years. Akers had his best season ever followed by his worst. I would expect that to balance back out next year.

 

[Arete Tzu]

Get rid of him ASAP

 

[bigninerfan56]

If we don't come out of the draft with a K I'd be very surprised/disappointed.

 

[Robotech]

I'm for cutting him and saving money. Depends on who is available, though, and at what price. Draft a kid if he is a stud.

 

[TobyTyler]

The exact same push to the left in the Super Bowl. That is scary.

 

[threelittleturds]

He is 38 and his age caught up with him, time to move on to a younger and much cheaper kicker.

 

[Robotech]

We could save about $3M by cutting him, right? I think the choice is easy, especially after how he performed this season. We don't need to pay $3M base salary for an unreliable kicker.

 

[bvanthielriceyoung]

LOL, i cant believe some people would want to keep him. He didnt just have a bad year, he had the worst year out of all the kickers. On top of that, he's making a decent amount of money and he's old as shit.

 

[iowajerms]

I think the 49ers should find another kicker but still expect Akers to be the starter. If Akers doesn't do good in the preseason, cut him. If he's good in all the realistic kicks in the preseason, see how he does the 1st few weeks of the season. Once he starts to struggle, that's when the back-up comes in and Akers is done as a 49er.

 

[Kinzu]

Don't forget not only was Akers mentally broken all year. He was hurt for the last part of it as well.

The guy was young enough to be the best kicker in the history of the game a year ago. I'm not buying he is suddenly the worst kicker in the league. I think he comes back healthy and with a clear head next year and returns to form.

Now the cap space is a different issue. I'd cut him for a cheaper option if it meant we keep someone like Goldson.

 

[h0ckeysk83r]

He made them all on Sunday.

I think we draft a kicker/ sign a udfa kicker or free agent and Let them battle if out. Akers does make a little much right now so I can see him getting cut.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I cut him straight up for money; add in the suckage and it is a no-brainer.

 

[Jikkle]

We have 2 6th round and 7th round picks so I would use one of those picks on a kicker and have them compete in training camp.

 

[MHSL82]

I think Harbaugh will focus on the secondary this year, but it will not include canning Culliver. Obviously, they look at all positions and all players, but his pet project, said by me in part tongue in cheek, was QB (2011 - build up a doubted Smith, draft Kaep), WR (2012 -praise a doubted Crabtree, bring in Mario/Moss), and secondary (2013 - show some public faith in a doubted Culliver/draft his replacement/competition?). As far as Akers goes, maybe he's saved by the secondary being the focus? Nah... they'll get to him, too. But if they keep him, it'll be Harbaugh praising him like he did Crabs and Smith. Culliver, too. But maybe Culliver will be this year's Jenkins? Defended, but not played as much?

 

[DoobieKeebler]

I don't think Akers should be outright cut during the offseason, but is there a deadline date/offseason modifier with Akers that kicks in before the beginning of next season? I ask only because I think Akers only missed 1 kick this season to the right side of the uprights (ie: the time he dinked it off the right post), so, while he did tie the record for most missed FGs in the regular season, he was always just barely wide left. Akers was consistent with almost all his kicks - be they wide left or straight down the middle - so I feel if there isn't a deadline to make a decision, give him the offseason to heal mentally and physically.

Akers play this year was simply.... weird, though he was no Cortez or Chandler. I don't think Akers necessarily deserves to be a Niner next year in regards to his recent play, but I would rather SF either uses one of their insane amount of draft picks to pick the best college kicker possible, OR have SF bring in a vet *CoughNeilRackersCough* to beat out Akers for the kicker position during the offseason/preseason. This isn't the first time Akers has had a terrible year, but after his bad year in Philly he had a chip on his shoulder and set a record with us in 2011. I mean, Akers started off this season IN Green Bay with the same confidence/ability he showed in 2011, so something happened to him durimg 2012 that he could never shake, be it mental or physical. I mean, Akers still hits 60+ yard FGs, so the leg is there, but he just needs to get his shit together.

OOOOOR he may just need a fresh start somewhere else, in which case Im fine with the Niners cutting him if they use the extra 3 milly they save to bring in/resign a badass player.

 

[bone3421]

i think they keep him......like the post above mine,he wasnt all over the place he missed "consistently" .....kickers have bad years i expect him to bounce back

on the other hand he is getting paid a lot for a kicker.

he missed the long ones this year.....didnt see much....but did he miss them from "overkicking" or was the aim/ mechanics a little off

2/6 from 50+ yards and 7/12 40-49 yards......3 misses closer than 40

 

[Jikkle]

Unless we need the 3 million I see no reason to not at least bring back Akers and let him compete with a rookie kicker.

It was a bad year for him no doubt but he did hit record trying FG in Green Bay no less so he still has leg despite his age and if he can get his health and head right then he can be the dependable Akers we had in 2011.

But we do have to have some backup plan just in case so I say we have to invest a draft pick in a kicker.

 

[threelittleturds]

Unless we need the 3 million I see no reason to not at least bring back Akers and let him compete with a rookie kicker.

It was a bad year for him no doubt but he did hit record trying FG in Green Bay no less so he still has leg despite his age and if he can get his health and head right then he can be the dependable Akers we had in 2011.

But we do have to have some backup plan just in case so I say we have to invest a draft pick in a kicker.

Jikkle, but in professional sports your health doesn't generally improve with age... it is typically the complete opposite of that, and at 38-39 it is highly doubtful that he'd stay healthy. Of course there is a chance that he could stay healthy but I'd imagine the odds are much greater that he'll remain injured.

 

[dreday]

How the uck did he go from so great 2 so ucking bad?????? His confidence is gone. Get a kicker n the draft& save some money.