So much for the idea of the Bears trading for Justin Tucker’s backup:
Trade: Ravens are sending kicker Kaare Vedvik to Minnesota in exchange for a 2020 5th-round draft pick, per league source. Vikings could wind up using Vedvik as their kicker and punter.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2019
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Vikings are acquiring kicker Kaare Vedvik from the Ravens in a trade that sends a 2020 fifth-round pick from Minnesota to Baltimore. Earlier, Schefter tweeted about two NFC North teams making calls to the Ravens with hopes of snagging Vedvik. And frankly, it is hard not to connect some dots and come to the conclusion that the Vikings just leap-frogged the Bears to land a kicker who was garnering some considerable buzz.
Vedvik made 8-of-9 field goals last preseason, then opened up with a perfect showing in the Ravens’ preseason opener. As the buzz and interest surrounding Baltimore’s *OTHER* kicker (because Justin Tucker is pretty darn good) continued to grow, the chances of him hitting the waiver wire at the end of the summer grew slim. We figured there was a chance the Bears would need to trade for Vedvik if he was their preferred target, and there was a belief from the Jets that the Bears would do it eventually. Ultimately, Vedvik ended up in the NFC North with a team that has had major kicking problems in recent years — just not the one that was our preferred choice.
It’s not as if the Bears’ kicking situation is a total loss right now. Elliott Fry has shown consistent mechanics and a stronger-than-expected leg in training camp and in his first preseason game. And then there is Eddy Piñeiro, who has shown off a strong leg of his own, but missed out on a chance to impress when he hooked a 48-yarder left in his preseason debut. The saga continues … but with one fewer backup option on the market.