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The 2015 NFL offseason has begun for the Philadelphia Eagles, which means Chip Kelly and his staff will spend the next couple of weeks evaluating the 2014 roster. While the team was able to achieve 10-6 record, they fell short of making the playoff, and there are still many ways the Eagles roster could be improved upon. By the time NFL free agency starts on March 10, the Eagles will have a good idea of which players they'll want to bring back for the 2014 season. Today we'll continue this offseason review series by looking at the kicker position. Click here for more reviews.
The Player
CODY PARKEY
Tackling stats: 2 tackles, 1 assist
Beast.
Field Goal Stats:
| Field Goals | FGM | FGA | % | LONG | 9-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | 32 | 36 | 88.9% | 54 | 0-0 | 10-10 | 14-16 | 4-6 | 4-4 |
| Rank | T-3 | 6 | T-9 | T-13 | N/A | T-1 | T-20 | T-28 | T-1 |
Parkey only missed four kicks on the season. They came from intermediate distance. He was a perfect 4-4 from beyond 50, which is pretty impressive. Two of his misses came in a disastrous performance against the Washington Redskins. (Speaking of, the Eagles still wouldn't have made the playoffs if Parkey made his kicks and the Eagles won that game since the Dallas Cowboys won out.)
Kickoff Stats:
| Kickoffs | No. | TB | TB% | Avg. Distance | Max. Hang Time | Avg. Start | % Returned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | 98 | 46 | 46.9% | 69.2 | 4.44 | 21.1 | 56.7 |
| Rank | T-3 | T-10 | 20 | 12 | T-26 | 9 | 23 |
Parkey was an upgrade over Alex Henery in kickoffs. With Henery as the kicker, opponents had an average starting position at the 24-yard line. Parkey's kickoffs helped trim that name down to the 21-yard line. It's worth noting here that some of Parkey's kickoffs were affected by a groin injury that popped up during the season. His numbers may have been even better had he remained healthy.
Extra Point stats: Perfect 54 for 54.
...
Overall, Parkey was a bright spot for the Eagles. Remember how unsettled the Eagles kicker position looked in late August before he arrived? Alex Henery was struggling and Carey "Murderleg" Spear didn't even attempt a single kick or kickoff in the preseason games. Along comes Parkey in a trade with the Colts and suddenly the Eagles kicker problem is solved. Funny how that works.
Parkey, who turns 23 on Feb. 19, could have a bright future in Philly if he keeps up his impressive rookie season. The Jupiter, Florida native was named as a first team Pro Bowl alternate and ended up playing in the game itself. He drilled his two PAT kicks on uprights that were modified to be more difficult than regulation ones. Parkey was also named to the 2014 PFWA All-Rookie Team. And if those things were cool enough, his cleats are being sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame because he set an NFL record for the most points by a rookie in a single season. He subsequently set the Eagles’ franchise record for most points in a season in 2014 with 150.
Who Could Leave
Parkey ain't going nowhere.
Who Could Sign
What did I just say?
Maybe the team opts to bring in a camp leg (see: Murderleg) to "compete" with Parkey.