Stephen Gostkowski remains unsigned, a look at the other options - if the Patriots need one

In an offseason where the Patriots have invested in more special teams help, their own veteran kicker is still on the market.

Stephen Gostkowski, a two-time All-Pro who has converted 87 percent of his field-goal chances in his 13-year career with New England, has yet to sign a new deal. Initially thought to be a candidate for the franchise tag, it’s been quiet around the 35-year-old when it comes to getting a sense as to where negotiations are at this point between the kicker and team.

League-wide, the high end of the market has been set — Wil Lutz signed a five-year deal with the Saints worth $20.25 million, a contract that will cost New Orleans $800,000 this year. Jason Myers, a Pro Bowler last year with the Jets, agreed to a four-year deal with the Seahawks worth $15.5 million, while Josh Lambo also hit on a similar deal with the Jaguars. (Myers will have a base salary of $1.5 million in 2019, while Lambo will cost Jacksonville $1 million.) If that’s the ceiling, given the state of the Patriots’ cap situation, they’d likely have to move some money around to make it work -- which could be one of the reasons behind a potential holdup.

Who else needs a kicker?

The other thing to keep in mind: there are a few teams out there right now who don't have a kicker on the roster. The Vikings needed a kicker, but signed Dan Bailey today. The Browns have a kicker in Greg Joseph, but they're talking about adding another one to create some competition at a position that lost them some games in 2018. Theoretically, Cleveland also has the cap space necessary to add a veteran like Gostkowski.

So what happens if New England can’t make it work with the veteran? Here are 10 possibilities — free agents and draft prospects — for the Patriots to consider as potential successors to Gostkowski.

FREE AGENTS

Matt Bryant: One of the only guys in the league older than Tom Brady, the 43-year-old has kicked for five different teams and has been as consistent as they come. He’s been 87 percent or better in his last three seasons, and is at 86 percent over the course of his career. He’s been indoors the last 10 years with the Falcons, so the move outside could be dicey for the veteran. But he’s been one of the steadiest in the league for a long time.

Cody Parkey: Lot of baggage there. The former Bears kicker struggled last year in Chicago — a brutal place to kick, for what it’s worth — and his playoff double-doink against the Eagles will haunt him for a bit. The 27-year-old finished last season with a 77 percent average on field-goal attempts. He’s on the market, but he might be waiting a bit for his next gig because of his postseason miss. (As a side note, the Bears replaced him with the unfortunately named Chris Blewitt.)

Kai Forbath: Forbath has had success indoors and outdoors, kicking for the Redskins and Jaguars and Vikings and Saints. He’s connected on 86 percent of his field-goal attempts over the last three years, including a perfect 15-for-15 with Minnesota in 2016. The 31-year-old could make some sense if the Patriots can’t make it work with Gostkowski but still want a veteran kicker.

Sebastian Janikowski: Sea Bass! The 41-year-old has been getting it done for a long time, opening 17 years with the Raiders before a brief stopover last season in Seattle. A career 80 percent success rate on field goals makes him a possibility, but his once legendary leg strength might be a thing of the past — he was 6-for-11 from 50-plus the last two seasons.

COLLEGE

Cole Tracy: Honestly, this would be the best story. The LSU kicker — a Bay State native by way of Assumption College — was tremendous for the Tigers last season, going 29-for-33 with three of those misses coming from 50-plus. He didn’t miss an extra point, and his long was 54 yards. His best was when he went 5-for-5 in LSU’s upset of Georgia. College kickers can be all over the place sometimes, but last season, Tracy was as close to rock solid as you can get. (He's also got a pretty good sense of humor.)



John Baron II: The San Diego State has a big leg — he was 5-for-5 from 50-plus last year, and 17-for-22 overall. Biggest question: Could a warm-weather, West Coast kicker make it work in New England?

Matt Gay: Gay was 26-for-31 with a long of 55 yards last year with Utah. As a junior, he had a pair of 56-yard field goals, and ended the season with an 88 percent conversion rate (30-of-34).

Austin Seibert: The Oklahoma kicker went an impressive 17-for-19 for the Sooners last year. That was on the heels of an 81 percent conversion rate as a junior.

Justin Yoon: The former Notre Dame kicker was 17-for-21 for the Irish last season, putting the capper on a good four-year run as a collegian where he made 80 percent of his field-goal attempts.