The drama unfolding between the San Francisco 49ers and kicker Robbie Gould took another interesting turn on Tuesday, as the former Bear let it be known he will not sign his franchise tender after having the tag placed on him. In turn, he wants to be traded, preferably to a team close to (or in) Chicago and his family. The stars may be aligning for the Bears to reunite with Gould, but he is still under the 49ers’ control and there has been no indication they will rescind the franchise tag or trade him.
Fans are clamoring for Ryan Pace to trade for Gould, but with $4 million still owed to Cody Parkey and three kickers already on the roster – plus the impending deal they would need to give Gould – does it make sense to trade for him?
Kicker trades are not common, but they have occurred within the last few years. Below are some of the recent trades involving kickers, the compensation, and how they fared with their new team.
Vikings trade two 6th-round picks to Jets to draft Daniel Carlson
Carlson was drafted by the Vikings in 2018 and beat out Kai Forbath to win the starting job. But after missing three kicks in Week 2, Carlson was cut and signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Jaguars trade Josh Scobee to Steelers for a 6th-round pick
Scobee was drafted by the Jaguars in 2004. He was fairly uneven during his tenure, but did enough to remain with the team for a decade and earning multiple extensions. In 2015, he was traded to the Steelers after their two kickers went down with injuries. Scobee lasted only four games, missing crucial kicks in a divisional matchup against the Ravens that led to his release.
Colts trade Cody Parkey to Eagles for RB David Fluellen
Before the infamous double-doink, Parkey began his NFL career with the Colts and was flipped to the Eagles for RB David Fluellen in August of 2014, who then lasted 10 days before getting cut. Parkey had a successful stint with the Eagles, actually breaking the rookie points record held by former Bear Kevin Butler. He then ended up on injured reserve in September of 2015 and was ultimately cut a year later.
Giants trade Brandon McManus to Broncos for 7th-round pick
2014 was the year of the kicker trade with the Giants sending Brandon McManus to the Broncos in August. McManus took over for Matt Prater, who was suspended for the first four games of the season. When Prater’s suspension was up, the Broncos released him, electing to move forward with McManus. Following a rough rookie season, McManus settled in with the Broncos, his field goal percentage averaging 81.5% in his last four seasons.
Every trade is different and a kicker like Robbie Gould isn’t normally on the trading block. His career field goal percentage is 87.5%, good for second in NFL history. The kickers above all went for no more than a pair of sixth-round draft picks, yet all but one flamed out with his new team within two years.
With only five picks in the entire draft, can Pace afford to give one or more up for Gould? Would the 49ers accept a future pick? And would Gould be open to a discounted deal with the Bears if he was traded? There are many questions surrounding this story, will they be resolved by the time the NFL Draft ends this weekend?
