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The kicker market is a slow developing one in free agency, but names are slowly starting to come off the board. The latest news has the New York Giants signing Josh Brown. This follows news a couple days ago that Mike Nugent had signed a contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 49ers released David Akers last week, leaving them short a kicker on the depth chart. There has been a lot of discussion here about drafting Dustin Hopkins or Caleb Sturgis, but the most recent rumor had the 49ers reportedly interested in Lawrence Tynes.
A rookie kicker makes sense in terms of the long-term perspective, but given that the 49ers are right on the precipice of the mountain top, there is the argument that more of a sure thing makes sense. Lawrence Tynes is not a spectacular option, but he would be a steady replacement for Akers.
The 49ers could hit a home run in the draft, but it could also turn into a Jeff Chandler situation that falls apart fairly quickly. And there is also the fact that the 49ers are not guaranteed to get any of the kickers they want if they wait too long. If the 49ers miss out on the kickers they are targeting, they could find themselves staring at an ugly free agent market as well.
Do you have a preference at kicker between a rookie and a veteran?