The Chicago Bears have traded for another kicker. Is he in the driver’s seat?
After rookie minicamp failed to provide any significant news out of the Chicago Bears’ kicking front, Ryan Pace wasted no time finding another kicker to get into the mix.
But this time he had to trade for one.
Ryan Pace and Jon Gruden have made another trade, but this time, it’s far less significant (if you recall, last year there was that whole Khalil Mack trade).
Bears traded for kicker Eddy Piniero from the Raiders, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 6, 2019
Pineiro will be added to the 90-man roster and will join Chris Blewitt and Elliott Fry in their current kicking competition to replace Cody Parkey.
The Bears didn’t have to give up much to land Pineiro, in fact, it might end up being nothing.
Bears traded a 2021 7th-round pick for kicker Eddy Piniero based on these conditions: he has to be on Chicago’s active roster for five games, per source. https://t.co/NifsJbRxP7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 6, 2019
A 2021 7th-round pick is about as little as possible. But the fact that it’s a conditional pick, makes it even less of an asset.
Basically, the Bears have added Pineiro into the kicking competition, and if he fails to make the roster, the Bears keep their seventh round pick. If he is on the roster for 5 games, the 7th rounder in two years heads to Las Vegas (it won’t be Oakland by then).
Pineiro was considered one of the top two or three kickers out of the 2018 kicker class. He failed to get drafted and the Raiders scooped him up as a UDFA. He looked like he was going to be the Raiders kicker in 2018, but he injured his groin and ended up on IR for the season.
He was the kicker for the Florida Gators in 2016 and 2017. He hit 56 of 58 extra points and nailed 37 of 43 field goals. In 2017 he was 17 of 18 on field goals. He was perfect from inside of 40 yards in his final season of Florida and perfect from beyond 50.
The Florida product clearly becomes the favorite to be the Bears kicker in 2019. It doesn’t mean they won’t add even more competition in the mix, but as of right now, it’s down to Pineiro, Blewitt and Fry.