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Rams seeking competition at kicker
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27381/rams-seeking-competition-at-kicker
The free-agent market is scheduled to open on March 9, and teams may begin negotiations with those poised to hit the market beginning on March 7. We'll count down to that with a position-by-position look at what the Rams have in place, who is set to hit the market, what the team might need and who might fit the bill.
Position: Specialists
Under contract: P Johnny Hekker, LS Jake McQuaide
Pending free agents: K Greg Zuerlein
What's needed: The Rams are doing just fine at punter and long snapper -- Hekker and McQuaide form one of the league's best and most consistent duos. Both are likely to be with the team for a long time. But one of the overlooked question marks for the Rams this offseason is at kicker. Zuerlein was the least accurate kicker in the league in 2015, though many of his misses came from long distances. Nonetheless, Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear after the season he intends to have a competition for the kicking job this offseason. Of course for someone to compete with Zuerlein, he must first re-sign with the team. General manager Les Snead has said the team would like to bring Zuerlein back, but if they find an option they can trust on the open market or in the draft, that's no guarantee. The Rams need to find a consistent, stable option, even if he doesn't have the same leg strength as Zuerlein.
Possible fits: The Packers re-signed Mason Crosby and the Ravens tagged Justin Tucker, removing two of the best kickers in the league from the market. Among the kickers poised to hit the market, the Giants' Josh Brown, the Colts' Adam Vinatieri, the 49ers' Phil Dawson and the Texans' Nick Novak could be available, though the Colts are expected to re-sign Vinatieri. The Rams have employed Brown before, and actually cut him loose in order to make room for Zuerlein. But Brown was one of the league's most accurate kickers last year and will probably get a relatively decent contract. Dawson is still very accurate on field goals, though he doesn't offer much on kickoffs. There's no obvious answer here for the Rams, so it's possible they'll retain Zuerlein and find competition in the draft or after.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27381/rams-seeking-competition-at-kicker
The free-agent market is scheduled to open on March 9, and teams may begin negotiations with those poised to hit the market beginning on March 7. We'll count down to that with a position-by-position look at what the Rams have in place, who is set to hit the market, what the team might need and who might fit the bill.
Position: Specialists
Under contract: P Johnny Hekker, LS Jake McQuaide
Pending free agents: K Greg Zuerlein
What's needed: The Rams are doing just fine at punter and long snapper -- Hekker and McQuaide form one of the league's best and most consistent duos. Both are likely to be with the team for a long time. But one of the overlooked question marks for the Rams this offseason is at kicker. Zuerlein was the least accurate kicker in the league in 2015, though many of his misses came from long distances. Nonetheless, Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear after the season he intends to have a competition for the kicking job this offseason. Of course for someone to compete with Zuerlein, he must first re-sign with the team. General manager Les Snead has said the team would like to bring Zuerlein back, but if they find an option they can trust on the open market or in the draft, that's no guarantee. The Rams need to find a consistent, stable option, even if he doesn't have the same leg strength as Zuerlein.
Possible fits: The Packers re-signed Mason Crosby and the Ravens tagged Justin Tucker, removing two of the best kickers in the league from the market. Among the kickers poised to hit the market, the Giants' Josh Brown, the Colts' Adam Vinatieri, the 49ers' Phil Dawson and the Texans' Nick Novak could be available, though the Colts are expected to re-sign Vinatieri. The Rams have employed Brown before, and actually cut him loose in order to make room for Zuerlein. But Brown was one of the league's most accurate kickers last year and will probably get a relatively decent contract. Dawson is still very accurate on field goals, though he doesn't offer much on kickoffs. There's no obvious answer here for the Rams, so it's possible they'll retain Zuerlein and find competition in the draft or after.
