Sports
PurplePTSD: Minnesota Would Be Wise To Re-Sign Greg Joseph
Collectively, Vikings fans have more than their fair share of angst when it comes to kicking a football through the uprights. My mind al ...
K. Joudry
2022-02-06
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Collectively, Vikings fans have more than their fair share of angst when it comes to kicking a football through the uprights. My mind always goes to Blair Walsh’s miss, though others will certainly favor Gary Anderson, Dan Bailey, Daniel Carlson, or any number of others. It’s this history that can make things challenging for Vikings fans and their kicker. There has been a lot of letdown and disappointment. Be that as it may, I find myself in the re-sign Greg Joseph camp.
The 27-year-old made a modest $780,000 last season. He’ll surely be looking for a raise coming off a reasonably strong year. He finished the year with a 86.8 FG%, the 18th-best percentage in the NFL. His 90% extra point number ranks in at 22nd. Given these somewhat modest figures, why should the Vikings want him back?
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Well, it’s because he made several great kicks. His 7 successful kicks from 50+ (on 9 attempts) is tied for third-best in the NFL. He won the game against Detroit and Green Bay. The miss against Arizona was bad, and yet it didn’t sink his season. True to his word, he battled back from that discouraging miss to put forth a strong season overall. It’s also worth remembering that he has an 80.9 touchback percentage, a number that suggests he has plenty of leg strength (in case the earlier stat about his 50+ FGs wasn’t sufficient proof).
The highest-paid kicker in the league, very reasonably, is Justin Tucker. He brings in an average of $5 million per year. Greg Joseph won’t get anywhere near that number. Something between $1-$2 million makes more sense. Players like Nick Folk and Randy Bullock find themselves in that range.
Plus, the Vikings would be wise to ensure they have plenty of competition for training camp. I’m against handing a job to a kicker. Being an NFL kicker means being able to perform in the clutch. That’s what separates the goods from the greats. For this reason, I believe it’s wise to always have the pressure that comes from direct competition.
Bring back Joseph on a modest deal and bring in competition. Ideally, the vet will win the job and become Minnesota’s kicker solution for years to come.
This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
