5 free-agents the Minnesota Vikings should avoid in 2019

Mike Nugent – K

Taking a long and hard look at the free-agent kickers available is likely something the Vikings will be doing this offseason. Especially since Minnesota’s kicker from last year, Dan Bailey, is a free-agent himself.

There are handful of good kicking options for the Vikings to choose from in free agency this offseason. But Nugent should not be one of these options.

Not only is he coming off a season with the Oakland Raiders where he appeared in just three games due to a hip injury, he hasn’t finished a year with a field goal percentage higher than 85 since 2011.

It may sound like an unrealistic expectation for some, but Minnesota needs to find a kicker this offseason who can convert around 90 percent of their field goal attempts in 2019. Except for very early in his NFL career (2006), Nugent has never been able to prove that this is something he can be relied on for.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is aware of the veteran kicker’s abilities from their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals between 2010 and 2013. Which is also probably why Nugent has never been seen in a Minnesota uniform.