The Chicago Bears’ continued search for an answer to their kicking woes has resulted in a trade for a kicker from California.
And, no, it’s not Robbie Gould.
The Bears traded for kicker Eddy Pineiro from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick, according to Adam Schefter.
It’s not hard to read between the lines here. The Bears were clearly not pleased with the results at rookie minicamp, where eight kickers had an opportunity to prove that they were just good enough.
The result was underwhelming to say the least. On Friday, the eight kickers in attendance went a combined 2-for-8 from 43 yards out, also known as the Cody Parkey test. They failed miserably.
While things got better from there, the overall result wasn’t something that inspired confidence in terms of an imminent resolution at kicker.
Pineiro joins Chris Blewitt and Elliott Fry, the only kickers to survive the weekend, as the third kicker on Chicago’s roster.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean all that much at this point. If you can’t perform, you’re going to get cut, as Redford Jones and John Baron II can attest to.
The Bears will enter OTAs later this month with the kicker competition at three, and you have to wonder how things will play out during those 10 practices that will shape the competition heading into training camp and preseason.
If there’s anything we’ve learned at this point, it’s that the Bears’ kicker for the upcoming season still might not be on the roster.
