The Kaare Vedvik sweepstakes will end with the Ravens sending their backup kicker to the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota will send a 2020 fifth-round pick to Baltimore.
Not previously mentioned as a destination for the suddenly in-demand specialist, the Vikings outflanked a rival that almost certainly was in that mix. The Bears, who have featured one of the more public kicker needs in modern NFL history, were reported to be in the hunt for Vedvik. So were the Jets and two other teams. Instead, Vedvik will wear a slightly different shade of purple soon.
Interestingly, Schefter adds Vedvik could be used as Minnesota’s kicker and punter. Dan Bailey and Matt Wile serve as the Vikings’ incumbents at those roles. It would be obviously unique for a team to use a specialist for both roles in this era. When asked about the trade report Sunday, Mike Zimmer said, “I really like Dan Bailey,” Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
The Ravens have stashed Vedvik, a 2018 UDFA, for two offseasons and kept him on IR last season in hopes of a future trade. The mid-Day 3 return represents good value for a kicker without any NFL game experience. He did, however, connect on each of his four field goal tries in the Ravens’ preseason opener. This included a 55-yarder.
For the most part, Vedvik only saw action for two seasons at Marshall. He did serve as the Thundering Herd’s kicker and punter in his 2017 senior season, however. The Norwegian-born specialist also began as a punter before seeing action as a kicker. Vedvik was Marshall’s punter for two seasons and made 10 of 16 field goals for the Conference USA program as a senior.
For the Vikings, this represents another fifth-round draft choice used on a kicker. They drafted Daniel Carlson in Round 5 in 2018 but cut him after a woeful performance against the Packers in a Week 2 tie. Bailey became the Vikings’ kicker soon after. The longtime Cowboy made 21 of 28 field goal tries as a Viking, also hitting 30 of 31 PATs. A fourth-year punter, Wile averaged 45.2 yards per boot (14th in the NFL) last season in Minnesota.
Vikings were desperate.
Vikings did it to keep him away from the bears….
overpayment either way.
If he turns out decent and the Bears struggle with kicker consistency then it will be well worth a late round pick.
Not an overpay if he pans out.
This kid is as good as Tucker!
Ummm….no.
The best kicker in NFL history…yeah bout that give it some time
Dumb
Try paying attention one day
Who’s the holder if Vedvik is the kicker and punter? lol
Good point. Backup quarterbacks used to be holders for a lot of team but most use the punters now.
Yea and they’re usually each other’s backups too, so if a team is gonna try to sneak an extra position player onto the roster u gotta make sure one can kick and one doesn’t mind being a holder
Bailey to Jets or maybe Bears give Vikings a 7th?
The viqueens and packets will go after any player the Bears want, including draft picks. Total c*ck blocks.
So funny. The Bears fan calling other team names!
He also likes to troll the Cubs being a Sox fan… someday he’ll grow up and realize his vitriol reflects far more on himself than the teams he takes shots at trying to bring them down to his level ♂️
Way to much cost for a unknown unproven NFL kicker. Seems the Vikings over paid to block the Bears. The Bears next kicker will be Sly when Carolina cuts him.
I think what the Vikings are looking to do here is they will use Vedvik as the punter, kickoffs and as the holder for FGs, as Dan Bailey does the FGs, unless they are out of his range. Then Vedvik will give it a shot.
Or, they really are just trying to get another position player on the roster and will stick witih only 1 kicker for everything.