Ryan Longwell Weighs in on Vikings' Dan Bailey's Job Security

Getty Former Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell offered insight in how he thinks the Vikings should handle Dan Bailey moving forward.

Former Green Bay Packers kicker Ryan Longwell preceded Brett Favre’s move across the border as Longwell kicked for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-11. He became a model of stability at the position that has haunted the Vikings, converting 86% of his tries before rookie Blair Walsh took the reigns in 2012.

Walsh was the beginning of renewed volatility at kicker, leading to his release in 2016 after missing a critical field goal in the NFC Wild Card round against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Kai Forbath, who missed eight extra points between 2016-2017, was followed by Daniel Carlson, who was cut two games into the 2018 season, leading to Bailey replacing the former fifth-round pick.

Bailey was seemingly another harbinger of consistency, making 27 of 29 field goals in 2019, concluding the season as the sixth-most accurate kicker in NFL history.

But after seven missed kicks in the past two games, including three field goals and an extra point that proved costly in a 12-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bailey has been possessed his predecessor’s blunders and is in the hot seat.

Longwell spoke with Michael Rand of the Star Tribune on Bailey and what the Vikings should with three weeks left in the season and a game out of the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs.

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Longwell on Bailey’s Miscues: ‘It’s Easily Fixable’

GettyBailey’s miscues have been a matter of two things: timing and technique.

Longwell has watched Minnesota periodically throughout the season. Although he missed the Jacksonville Jaguars game where Bailey missed three kicks but redeemed himself with an overtime game-winning field goal, Longwell has a strong sense of what may be wrong with Bailey.

“Dan is a great kicker. The guy has been money for so many years, not just with the Cowboys, but making so many in a row with the Vikings,” Longwell said. “You see one kick left and three right. I see it as one issue. He’s a little out of position at the ball. It’s easily fixable.”

The issue with Bailey being out of position could come down to a timing issue after the Vikings cut long snapper Austin Cutting on Dec. 1 — a move that Longwell called a “red flag.”

Longwell referred to his arrival in Minnesota back in 2006. It took weeks working with his long snapper and holder before they had their system down like clockwork. The removal of cutting and addition of Andrew DePaola aligns with Bailey’s struggles.

Longwell offered one piece of advice for Bailey.

“If I was standing next to him, there are two things I would do: Look at his alignment and adjust his head position to be a little more on top of the ball,” Longwell said. “I don’t think he’s aiming where he thinks he’s aiming. His head is a little far back. It results in a ball that starts right and goes right. Or a hit off the ground that shoots right. And then the miss left is the overcompensation. It’s a simple fix. It’s a quick fix. But it has to be carefully done.”

‘Is the Grass Greener Making a Change?’

Longwell raised a valid point when asked about the consideration of cutting Bailey, harkening back to the decision to cut Carlson and essentially throwing away the fifth-round pick the Vikings spent on him.

Carlson has since moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders and is kicking at a Pro Bowl level, making 26 of 28 field goals attempts this season.

“Daniel has been great with the Raiders,” Longwell said. “You always have to wonder: Is the grass greener making a change?”

Signs point to no as Minnesota has few options other than Bailey after they surprisingly dropped practice squad kicker Tristen Vizcaino on Tuesday.

The only kickers who would even have a chance to play are Chandler Catanzaro, who has been out of the league for nearly two years, and Taylor Bertolet, who has yet to take a kick in an NFL game through almost five seasons as a pro. Both kickers came in for workouts this week and could pass COVID-19 protocols by Sunday, but are long shots to supersede Bailey in this week’s rematch with the Chicago Bears.

“I don’t think there’s a better option out there,” Longwell said. “I think you ride with Dan, first off. You trust his history over a quick fix. I do think he can pull out of this. I would trust him over anyone else at this point.”

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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.

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