The Steelers are applying the second-round tender to kicker Chris Boswell, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. By applying the tender to Boswell, the Steelers have placed a one-year, $2.914MM placeholder on him for 2018.
In theory, another team can sign the restricted free agent away, but that’s unlikely to occur. An unmatched offer sheet would mean surrendering a second-round pick to the Steelers. As good as Boswell is, no kicker is truly worth that amount.
It stands to reason that the Steelers will work to hammer out a lengthier deal with Boswell from here. Last year, Boswell earned his first ever Pro Bowl nod after connecting on 35 of 38 field goal attempts. He also made all but two of his extra point tries.
A solid PK who can win 3 or 4 games in the last seconds like Boswell did might arguably BE worth a second round pick?
I agree. You don’t find kickers like him in the 2nd round.
Remember Boswell’s career prior to the Steelers? Undrafted FA signed by Houston and cut in 2014. Signed by the Giants twice and cut twice in the preseason of 2015. Boswell was the 4th kicker given the job by the Steelers. Most kickers are never even drafted let alone in the 2nd round. Most other teams, like the Steelers are looking to draft a player to fill a hole in the 1st 3 rounds. Steelers probably prevented another team from offering Boswell a contract by placing the tag on him.
No disagreeing with his past but take a look at teams like the Bears and Bucs that lost games because of a poor kicking game. Taking a position player is just as much of a gamble as taking a kicker in rounds 1-3. Ask the Browns