Gost is a free agent next month

[DaBruinz]

This thread is ridiculous. Brady threw more interceptions than TDs in the last two games -- should we replace him, too? Who is better than Gostkowski out there? Realistically, no one.

It's about value. Gostkowski's contract ended with him making $4.3M. Is he worth $5M with only 18M in cap space currently and needing to sign 12 draft picks and either Trent Brown and/or Trey Flowers?

I'm sure it's not an easy decision for Belichick. And it will certainly be influenced by whatever kickers are available in the draft who might be a potential replacement.

OH.. Before anyone goes ballistic on me. I've been one of Gostkowski's ardent supporters..

 

[BradyFTW!]

As much as I like the Gost I think it time to move on. He has brought a lot of joy to Pats fans lives but at the same time a lot of stress. The way I look at it the morning of the Super Bowl I was talking with some friends about how we feared he was going to miss one we were just hoping it was not in the fourth quarter. Sure enough, we were correct and he missed that field goal on the second drive.

With a kicker any time I fear he is going to miss more than make, it is time to move on and give someone else a chance.

I doubt that fear goes away with anyone else. With the possible exception of Justin Tucker, everyone has this same fear every time their kicker lines up for an important field goal.

That said, I'm not sure having the highest-paid kicker in the league is a luxury the Pats can necessarily afford next season. If the difference between Gost and a drafted replacement is the difference between Flowers walking and staying a Patriot, for example, I could definitely see him ending up somewhere else. There are going to be tough calls all over the roster, and of the cuts the Pats might have to make to lock up their FAs and add new talent where needed, a downgrade from Gost would be one of the easier pills to swallow IMO, at least compared to some other guys that could walk instead. Like, if the Pats are looking to save $3-4M on the cap for whatever reason, I'd rather they draft Gost's replacement and move on than, say, cut Marcus Cannon whose contract was structured to have an out this offseason.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Be careful what you wish for.

People act like you can just get a kicker that kicks 87% of his field goals and it's just that easy, have you seen some of the kickers around the league and especially in college?

People here lose their mind when Gostkowski misses 5 field goals and 1 XP all season, there's kickers in the NFL every year who miss that many in 2 weeks.

Everyone thinks it's easy just to replace a kicker until you get a new one and he loses 2 games for you 6 weeks into the season, the Bears thought Robbie Gould could be replaced on the cheap and save a few million bucks how's that working out for them?

 

[shmessy]

Ghost has been better than Vinatieri in every stat since coming aboard in 2006.

FG% Leads Vinny 87.4% to 86.4%
Xpts Leads Vinny 98.9% to 97.8%

Plus he kicks outside, not in a 72 degree dome, and doesn't cost his team an additional roster spot like Vinny does for a kickoff specialist.

Great move by BB.

.

 

[mgteich]

IF there were NFL ready kickers out there that an NFL team could expect to count on as a rookie, there are probably a dozen teams that would or should be looking. There are lots of poor kickers in the NFL, and even more who are much worse than Ghost.

We could use an early pick (5th?), some of our 7th on kickers, and sign some UDFA's and have a competition. Personally, I think that this would result in the kicker position becoming a major question mark in many games in 2019. We'd be asking why the offense couldn't score enough.

BOTTOM LINE
You are correct, if we have changes to the cap, Ghost is hard to fit in at $5M.

.And it will certainly be influenced by whatever kickers are available in the draft who might be a potential replacement.

 

[thecore762]

If he comes cheap sure, it’s hard to find reliable kickers these days, so I hope we get to keep him, I just don’t want us to spend top dollars on a kicker.

We need money to sign Flowers, keep our D-line intact and at the same time lock up Trent Brown.

Now if Gronk decides to retire then that should open up a bunch of cap space.

 

[randomk1]

Gost has failed in multiple big spots. I think he's more of a liability at this point.

The Broncos game was basically a season lost from a missed extra point.

 

[TommyD4207]

It's about value. Gostkowski's contract ended with him making $4.3M. Is he worth $5M with only 18M in cap space currently and needing to sign 12 draft picks and either Trent Brown and/or Trey Flowers?

I'm sure it's not an easy decision for Belichick. And it will certainly be influenced by whatever kickers are available in the draft who might be a potential replacement.

OH.. Before anyone goes ballistic on me. I've been one of Gostkowski's ardent supporters..

I understand what you're saying, but I don't think $1m here or there is going to make or break the Brown/Flowers signings.

 

[TommyD4207]

The Broncos game was basically a season lost from a missed extra point.

Jamie Collins is still picking up Owen Daniels' dry cleaning for him.

 

[bresna]

Gostkowski is a free agent, so I don't know why everyone is acting like it's the Patriots with the leverage to "not overpay". The only way they can guarantee he stays on the team is the franchise tag. He does not have to take any sort of lowball offer. I believe that this is his first, and might be his only shot at free agency dollars.

My guess is that the Pats are not going to franchise him, he's going to get some crazy offer from another team and the Pats will have to get someone to replace him.

 

[Redstorm]

He cost the Pats in the 2015 AFC Title Game. Could’ve been a 4 peat

He also missed a FG in Superbowl LII, and LIII

Gostkowski had a good run but I wouldn’t be surprised to see New England find a newer cheaper kicker

 

[QB12]

I don't trust him. Let's find our own Harrison Butker, or 'Money' Badgley.

 

[Nehalem]

He cost the Pats in the 2015 AFC Title Game. Could’ve been a 4 peat

He also missed a FG in Superbowl LII, and LIII

Gostkowski had a good run but I wouldn’t be surprised to see New England find a newer cheaper kicker

Also missed an XP in SB LI. Forcing the Pats to make two 2-pt conversions. Could have easily cost the Pats the Sb.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I don't trust him. Let's find our own Harrison Butker, or 'Money' Badgley.

Butker missed 4 XPs last year and was 2-4 from 40-49. Zero Super Bowl experience.

Same for Badgley- rookie kicker

The Gost Hate is BS.

 

[QB12]

I didn't say I hated him.
I said I don't trust him.

 

[ALP]

let's make it simple:

Ghost at 5M per year hitting 88% FGs and 98% XPs or
other kicker at 1M per year hitting 83% FGs and 95% XPs?

 

[zimmy]

On the one hand he is a reliable kicker, one of the better kickers in the league and they don't grow on trees. On the other hand, we'd likely have to make him the highest paid kicker in the league again at over $5m a year. I'd like to resign him but it really depends on the money.

 

[TommyD4207]

We're talking about relative pennies when it comes to the salary cap. $4m $5m $6m, what's the difference? He's not only the best kicker in the history of the franchise, he's still one of the best kickers in the league.

This whole discussion is complete nonsense.

 

[Simpelton]

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone

 

[kennyb]

He seems to choke a lot. One sb belichick went for it on like 4th and 9 rather than have him attempt a 48 yarder or something. It was disastrous.