With word that the 49ers are looking to other kickers, maybe they can offload Gould to a team.
The San Francisco 49ers were to get Robbie Gould for at least one more year. Then they weren’t. On Tuesday, reports surfaced that the 49ers were interested in New England Patriots free agent kicker Stephen Gostkowski. While Gostkowski would be signed back to the Patriots within hours, the whole act is weird considering the 49ers have issued the franchise tag to Gould, but it sounds as if he’s a bit miffed that he didn’t get a chance of testing the free agency waters.
It’s understandable, considering his family is in Chicago, but the NFL is a business, I suppose. If the 49ers are looking to a new kicker, then Gould would be either traded, or the franchise tag (which hasn’t been signed by him) would be rescinded. Let’s go with that first scenario, trading Gould.
It’s time to play armchair GM.
The Chicago Bears are the prime targets in a deal here. After that blunder of a field goal in the NFL playoffs, the biggest beneficiary in all of this was Gould. It’s only more interesting that the Bears released him a few years back which enabled the eventual arrival in San Francisco in the first place.
This isn’t the first time the 49ers have made a trade with the Bears, and the same logic applies. If the Bears want Gould, he’s not going to be cheap. This isn’t just another kicker, it’s one of the best kickers in the league.
I’d start negotiations at a fourth rounder. That’s a fair price. I’ve seen some say a third, but that’s far too much for a kicker, even Gould and a good way to get laughed off the phone. Fourth is respectable. If we have to start going back and forth I may be willing to take a fifth and some change when negotiations end, but nothing less. The Bears are picking in the back, so a fifth would be somewhat of a disappointment. A fourth and Gould gets to go back to Chicago, plus the Bears get the best kicker in the league, all provided the Bears can work out their extension and not release him early this time.
What would you think is adequate compensation for Gould?
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