The Bears have waived kicker Elliott Fry, the team announced. That leaves Eddy Pineiro as the only kicker on the roster at the moment.
However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune cautions that the decision to waive Fry, an AAF alumnus whom the the Bears signed in April, does not mean that Pineiro has won the team’s much-discussed kicking competition (Twitter link). Indeed, Biggs suggests that a to-be-released player from another organization is likely to open the season as the Bears’ kicker, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms (via Twitter) that Chicago remains in the market for kicking help.
The Bears’ kicking game issues in 2018, which ended in heartbreak in the wildcard round of the NFC playoffs, led the team to cast a wide net for answers. Chicago acquired Pineiro in a trade with the Raiders in May, and the club also signed Chris Blewitt, John Baron II, and Redford Jones since their playoff loss to the Eagles. All candidates but Pineiro have been waived.
Fry missed his only FG attempt in the team’s preseason loss to the Giants on Friday. Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes that both Fry and Pineiro have struggled with accuracy and consistency in spring practices and training camp, though Pineiro clearly has the stronger leg (Twitter link).
The Bears were reportedly interested in Kaare Vedvik, but he was traded to the division-rival Vikings last week.
Cody Parkey is available
That joke just missed
It clanked off the upright?
I honestly think that their kicking situation is worse this year than it was last year. All things considered, they at least had a concrete plan at kicker last season. We are on the eve of the regular season in a couple weeks with no surefire answer. John Fox’s descision to
They kept Parkey on the team, knowing full well he was the weakest link and they chose not to bring in competition let alone release him. Pinero was highly regarded coming out of FSU. So highly regarded that the Raiders cut Janikowski.
Not really accurate. The Raiders didn’t resign Janikowski and drafted Jim from Florida as a replacement. But he beat out Tavechio in camp. Then lost it to Carlson almost right away. But the Raiders were high on him as a replacement, but nobody trashes their own draft picks either
No, they kept him on the team because he had guaranteed money coming.
I think their situation is better this year. Part of that might be because it can’t be worse. Parkey not only missed a chip shot FG that ended the Bears season, but he missed a couple FGs against Miami when hitting either would’ve meant the Bears had a bye in the WC round.
But it also has to do with how sports work in general. The relative investment a team makes in a player (whether salary, draft position, or players traded to acquire him) directly correlates to how much room for failure that player is given by the coaches and front office. Parkey was given a relatively large contract (for a kicker) last year. He had a ton of room for failure because the Bears wanted/needed to justify the money. They didnt bring in competition because they were never going to cut him. His contract was such that his job was as secure as it could be, regardless of his failure.
This isn’t unique to the Bears or to the NFL. It’s all teams in all sports. But it’s especially dangerous with kickers because so much of it is mental. The opportunities for kickers are so few and far between (3 or 4 plays in an entire game) that once a kicker misses a couple kicks, the odds of him turning it around are slim.
This is why you’re better off not investing heavily in a kicker. You need to be able to move on once things start going south because the kicker most likely isnt going to right the ship.
Yes, I remember what a great move it turned out to be when the Bears cut the best kicker in team history after a season and a half of subpar performance.
You have to be able to move on because it’s unlikely the player will ever regain elite form. Whatever happened to that Gould fellow, anyway? Is he working construction or something?
Even Gould says he only turned it around cause he got cut. But whatever. Go ahead.
Bears fans have been spoiled. The team has pretty much had three kickers for the majority of the time since 1985. Butler, Edinger and and Gould, with about four season of garbage in between and now.
The kicking situation isn’t dire. It is just what a lot of teams go through each season.
Bears are probably waiting to see what the Vikings do with Bailey. Not that he’s been great but it’s a big improvement over the guys they’ve had in camp.
Not Bailey, Slye from Carolina. If Bailey was so good, the Vikes wouldn’t have wasted a fifth round draft pick on Vedvik.
Doink doink
Bring back Kevin Butler.
Or Bob Thomas, he can work the Illinois Supreme Court bench during the week and kick on the weekends.
Roberto aguayo
Matt Bryant is available
Wait for the Packers to cut Crosby.
Looking at his picture you might say “What is a 13 year old doing in the NFL anyway?”
Cody Parkey was despondent and tried to shoot himself He missed wide right.
Cole Tracy! I still don’t understand why this man hasn’t been signed by a team. He was arguably the best kicker in the NCAA last year.
Time for the Bears to give Barack Obama a workout.