Chicago Bears 2019 NFL Draft Primer: Everything you need to know
By Usayd Koshul
15. Kickers To Know
The Bears have been aggressive when it comes to the kicking position this offseason. The team has signed Redford Jones, Chris Blewitt, and Elliott Fry. However, even then, there are two kickers the team should look into, both of whom will be available in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Two names that have been on the Bears radar this offseason have been Cole Tracy (LSU) and Matt Gay (Utah). Tracy met with the Bears at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in January, while Gay met with the Bears at Utah’s pro day.
Gay spent two-years at Utah and was a perfect 85-85 on extra points while going 56 for 65 on his field goal attempts. Additionally, what makes him an interesting fit for the Bears is that he’s kicked in cold weather conditions, meaning he’ll fit in with Chicago weather in November and December.
Tracy, on the other hand, has a perfect 42-42 on extra points and hit 87.9 percent of his field goals. Tracy is interesting due to the fact that although he had just one-year starting, but posted solid numbers and is sure to have a chance to open the 2019 season by being a starting kicker on an NFL roster.
Between the two, Gay seems to have the upper hand. He seems as if he’s more ready to be an NFL kicker at this point and has been praised for multiple things such as work ethic and being humble.
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As the Bears learned in 2018, kicker is a position that can make-or-break a team’s championship hopes. This offseason, Ryan Pace has been aggressively trying to figure out the kicker position. If the Bears want to get it right, then they need to use every avenue possible to add to the position.