6 free-agent kickers the Vikings could sign in 2020
By Adam Carlson
Nick Folk
The three players already listed should be the cream of the crop of the free-agent kicker market. However, if things should fall through with locking one of those individuals down, the top of the next tier should be Nick Folk.
Folk wasn’t great in 2019, connecting on only 14 of his 17 tries in seven games with the Patriots. While all three of those misses came from 40 yards out or more, history shows that he doesn’t have the kind of consistency a team can rely on.
In his 12 seasons in the NFL, he has only connected on at least 90 percent of his kicks twice. Conversely, he finished under 80 percent in five of these seasons. Considering he is 35-years-old, it’s unlikely to see changes that improve his game.
The biggest upside to Folk is his payday. Signing him should cost close to the league minimum, which would appeal greatly to the Vikings considering their expected salary cap situation. While there are some spots to cut corners on the roster, kicker shouldn’t be one of them for the purple and gold.