It was only a matter of when and which team would pull the trigger. The Baltimore Ravens have traded kicker Kaare Vedvik to the Minnesota Vikings, the Ravens announced.
Vedvik had earned the trade after an impressive showing in the first preseason game. Vedvik hit on all four of his field goal attempts, including connecting from 55 yards out. He also knocked through two extra points. But Vedvik’s value doesn’t end there, he also had punts of 58 and 53 yards.
After an impressive preseason last year, Vedvik again showed impressive leg strength and accuracy. But with Justin Tucker already on the team, Vedvik was never going to make the 53-man roster.
In exchange, the Ravens get a fifth-round pick in 2020 from the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
According to Schefter, quite a few teams had been showing interest in Vedvik, apparently driving his price up. While a fifth-round pick doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s a rarity for kickers to be worth that much. Baltimore’s deal with Minnesota is tied for the highest-round draft pick traded for a kicker in the NFL dating back to 1996.
For Vedvik, it’s a dramatic comeback from his last offseason. Vedvik looked to be on a path to a trade then, earning some trade talks before being brutally assaulted in Baltimore, sending him to the hospital and ending his year prematurely.
