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Looking ahead -- Free agent kickers

Mike Hollis doesn't expect to be in Jacksonville after hitting just 64 percent of his field goals. Craig Jones/Allsport

By Bob Harris, Special to CNNSI.com

It’s time for the fifth – and final -- installment of our ongoing series of columns Fantasy owners with an early look at possible scenarios surrounding this year's crop of unrestricted free agents.

Which means it’s time to take a look at place-kickers.

One last time: The following players became unrestricted free agents on Feb. 28; this year’s free agent signing period began March 1.

Jason Elam, Denver Broncos
Designated as Denver's "Franchise" free agent on Feb. 21, Elam is guaranteed a one-year deal worth $1.24 million -- which represents the average salary of the league's five highest-paid kickers last season.

However, head coach Mike Shanahan and Elam's agent, Jack Reale, have made it clear both sides are eager to reach an agreement on a long-term deal. Although he cautioned that no negotiation is final until a contract is signed, Reale said he "wouldn't expect any difficulty getting a deal done" given the pace and tone of negotiations the day his client was tagged with that "Franchise" label. "He's been there nine years and holds most of their team records, and a few more seasons there he will set records no one will break," Reale explained. "You don't walk away from that lightly."

Elam, who is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro, earned his third trip to the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL in field goals (31) and finishing third in scoring (124 points) while converting a career-best 86 percent of his field-goal attempts. A third-round pick out of Hawaii, Elam yet to finish an NFL season with less than 100 total points. Along the way he's set franchise records in scoring (1,073 points), field goals (235), field-goal attempts (297), field-goal percentage (79.1), extra points made (368) and extra-point attempts (369).

In addition to the fact he happens to be riding a league-record 344 consecutive extra points made, Elam tied Tom Dempsey's NFL record for longest field goal with a 63-yarder against Jacksonville in 1988

The two sides appear to be focusing on a seven-year contract, matching the length of a deal given to Tom Rouen, the Broncos punter. Rouen is Elam's holder, best friend and co-title holder as the team's elder statesmen; each has been with the team since 1993.

Mike Hollis, Jacksonville Jaguars
Hollis is coming off a 2001 season that might be best described as his most interesting as a pro. When he wasn't bitching about his contract or battling hard-nosed head coach Tom Coughlin, Hollis was busy struggling through the worst year of his seven-year NFL career.

If hitting only 18 of 28 field-goal attempts wasn't enough to ensure Hollis will be playing somewhere other than Jacksonville this year, his public criticism of Coughlin's rules during the last week of the regular season certainly did.

Hollis, apparently knowing full well -- or at the very least hoping -- he'd played his last game as a Jaguar, told reporters early last month how much he was looking forward to a future in which he'd no longer have to put up with the maniacal Coughlin, who he accused of handing out "petty silly fines." Coughlin immediately fined him $5,000 for his comments.

Todd Peterson, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have reportedly been happy with Peterson's placement work, but less pleased with his kickoffs. If Peterson leaves, the Chiefs would have no choice but to sign a veteran who would compete with young Lawrence Tynes at training camp.

The Chiefs brought Tynes to camp in 2001 as a rookie free agent and at the time, team officials felt had a legitimate chance to win the job outright. And after Tynes got off to a strong start once camp opened -- consistently hitting field goals from beyond 50 yards early on -- it looked like they were right. Unfortunately, the youngster struggled -- on field goals and kickoffs both -- and the Chiefs ultimately decided to stick with Peterson.

Gary Anderson, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings like his reliability, but his future with the club could change if the Vikings are unable to find a punter to replace Mitch Berger who can also kick off. Nonetheless, Anderson, who was a victim of a poor offense and attempted among the fewest field goals in the league, is expected to remain in Minnesota unless another team offers him a big money deal.

Adam Vinatieri, New England Patriots
Vinatieri became the third player overall -- and the first offensive skill player -- to have his team's "Franchise" designation officially applied this year. The designation effectively prevents Vinatieri from leaving and guarantees him the average salary next season of the top five players at his position, or $1.24 million. The former South Dakota State star would have become a free agent on March 1.

According to Providence Journal staffer Tom E. Curran, head coach Bill Belichick couldn't afford to handle Vinatieri the same way they handled last year's free agent class. Last year, they set the amount they were willing to pay for players and if another team showed up with a better offer -- much like Seattle did with Chad Eaton -- they simply wished him well and waived bye-bye.

Using that same strategy with Vinatieri this year simply wasn't an option.

As Curran put it, "Letting go of the guy who sewed up the Super Bowl with a 48-yarder (not to mention the two kicks he made in a whiteout against the Raiders) would be public relations suicide."

And Vinatieri's postseason superstar status might actually be transcended by the fact he's young -- at just 29-years old; he's proven to be fearless so far; he kicks well outdoors -- and he does so without any regard whatsoever for weather conditions; he's among the league's deadliest indoor kickers; and he'll go after opposing return men -- often nailing them with picture-perfect tackles -- without hesitation.

Curran further noted that he hasn't gone through a slump since 1999 when he helped then-head coach Pete Carroll earn an apple and a roadmap by missing a pair of clutch kicks against the Chiefs and Bills. The only other slump came during Vinatieri's rookie season in 1996.

John Carney, New Orleans Saints
According to reports out of New Orleans, the Saints are expected to get serious about re-signing Carney soon. Team officials have gone out of their way to make it known they'd like the former Charger to return, and Carney has stated the same after enjoying a Pro Bowl-level season in 2001. The fact that Saints GM Randy Mueller has a good relationship with Carney's agent is another reason to believe the two sides will reach an agreement soon enough.

Morten Andersen, New York Giants
Although he's coming off a solid 2001season, Andersen's chances of beating out the younger -- and very talented -- Owen Pochman aren't good. Look for the aging veteran to ply his trade elsewhere this year.

Steve Christie, San Diego Chargers
As pleased as I might be at the karmic payback extracted from GM John Butler, who ran fan favorite Carney in favor of unproven former Niner Wade Richey, it remains to be seen whether Charger will stick with Christie, the former Buffalo kicker Butler signed to save his neck when Richey took a dive.

That’s it boys and girls! Tune in next week when we take a look at some of the league’s more notable free agent signings.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.

 

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