The Patriots all-time leading scorer, Stephen Gostkowski is an unrestricted free agent. Gostkowski has been remarkably consistent since being drafted from Memphis in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He replaced a legend in Adam Vinatieri who had been instrumental in three Super Bowl wins.
Now Gostkowski has a ring of his own and although he wasn't called upon to make the kind of pressure kicks that his predecessor was, he's still an integral part of the Patriots special teams.
In the 2014 season, Gostkowski has made 35 of 37 field goal attempts (94.6%), and led all NFL scorers with 156 points, his third season in a row leading the league. During a December 41-13 blowout of the Miami Dolphins, Gostkowski hit a 35-yard field goal that moved him past Vinatieri (1158 points), and into sole possession as the Patriots all-time leading scorer.
"When we're in team meetings, Bill talks about special teams as much as he talks about anything else. We have a very big importance to the game, it's a third of the game," Gostkowski told the Boston Herald. "We have a lot of pride. We want to be game changers, not a reason the team loses. We want to be a reason the team wins. Our approach, I tell people I go out there to make the kick, not go out there to not miss."
During the Super Bowl, he wasn't called upon to make a field goal, kicking four extra points. In doing so, he became just the seventh kicker all-time to record 100 points in the playoffs. He did however kick all five kickoffs into the end zone, the first time in Super Bowl history a kicker prevented the opposing team from returning a kick.
"It's cool. I have been put in a good situation, on a heck of a team with a great offense. I've been able to take advantage of my opportunities. I've been at the right place at the right time. Kicking field goals, you're only as good as the opportunities you're given. I try to take advantage of every one that I'm given.
Replacing a legend wasn't the easiest of tasks but Gostkowski has done so with a steady, long-term approach. He's been the most dependable part of a stellar special teams unit in 2014 that definitely had a big part in winning the Patriots their fourth championship ring.
Why Gostkowski Will Return: With a dwindling window of opportunity to win another Super Bowl with what will be a 38 year old quarterback in 2015, Bill Belichick can remove one question mark from the puzzle by re-signing Gostkowski.
At age 31, he's far from done. In fact, the past two seasons have been his best accuracy wise hitting on 92.7 percent of his field goals in 2013, and 94.6 percent this year. His predecessor Vinatieri was still going strong this season at the age of 42, exactly nine years since he was replaced. That should show the Patriots the value of keeping a steady, reliable kicker on-board.
He's as close to automatic as they come. He really missed only one FG all season, the other came on a bad snap. His range is still excellent; he hit a 60-yard field goal against Carolina in the pre-season, which would have been a Patriots team record. His kickoffs are always deep and allow the coverage units to get downfield if the ball doesn't travel out of the endzone.
Kicking in Foxboro isn't like kicking in the nice cozy domes that are out there or a mile above sea-level where the air is thin and the balls carry. The winds at Foxboro tend to swirl down at field level. To be successful for the Patriots for this long, takes a ton of patience, practice and confidence. He's been able to handle the pressure of kicking for a contender for nine years and has been to three Super Bowls.
Gostkowski had a $3.8 million dollar cap hit in 2014, and among the top paid NFL kickers being around the $4 million dollar mark, the Patriots could use their franchise option on Gostkowski which would do two things. Give Gostowski a modest pay raise and keep him around the environs of Foxboro for at least another year.
Why Gostkowski Won't Return: There is a track record here, if Bill Belichick can replace a legend like Vinatieri, then they can replace anyone. If Gostkowski is looking to cash in and get himself a big payday, then it is entirely conceivable that the Patriots decide to move on.
There will be some talented kickers in the 2015 NFL Draft and one, Michael Hunnicut from Oklahoma has been compared to Gostkowski in terms of leg strength and accuracy. He has a 88.9 percent field goal percentage in his career at Norman and will find himself a home in the NFL on Sundays this season. Two other names to keep an eye on later down the road may be Justin Manton from the University of Louisiana-Monroe or Roberto Aguayo from Florida State.
It has been done before, as doubtful as it seems, remember Vinatieri left over a small amount of money…in the neighborhood of $500,000. While it would surprise me to see it happen again with Gostkowski, it would not be a shocker…we've seen it happen before.
But I think that Belichick and Gostkowski will find a way to keep the kicker in New England for a long term deal. Look for the Patriots to give Gostkowski an incentive-laden deal that will keep him a Patriot for the next three to four seasons.
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