MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 24: Kaare Vedvik #7 of the Minnesota Vikings kicks the ball before the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

New York Jets: 2019 will prove these are not ‘the same old Jets’

New York Jets: 2019 will prove these are not ‘the same old Jets’ by Carson Hathaway

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The New York Jets made a calculated risk by moving on from Jason Myers for Kaare Vedvik. Here’s why that switch will pay off in spades.

Last year the New York Jets had one of the best special teams units they’ve ever had resulting in two Pro Bowl bids: kicker Jason Myers and return specialist Andre Roberts.

While the team didn’t have great success (finished 4-12 last season), they were key cogs in keeping games close and being the difference-maker.

In the offseason, the Jets decided to be cheap, excuse me ‘selective’ with their overwhelming wealth at the kicker and return man spot.

You often hear the phrase, you get what you pay for, well that couldn’t have been truer over the course of the offseason for the Jets.

Since deciding not to fork over the cash to those proven commodities in 2018, the squad has had a musical chair going at the kicker and returner spot.

Although sometimes when playing musical chairs, you sit in your seat before someone else gets an opportunity to. That happened during the waiver wire period over the weekend and the Jets ‘won’ the services of Norwegian kicker Kaare Vedvik.

A reminder this is a player the Jets were extremely close to trading for a few weeks back but were outbid by the Minnesota Vikings who forked over a fifth-round draft choice. That marriage lasted all of two weeks before the team released him.

Then the Jets got him for ‘free’ and the Vikings are going to regret cutting him.

Kickers are a funny bunch, 99 percent of the kickers in the league can all hit field goals from all over the field, but it’s the mental part of the game that separates the consistent kickers (Justin Tucker) and all of the rest.

Speaking of Tucker, Vedvik spent two years learning from not only the best kicker on the planet but one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history.

How can a reject help the Jets?

Well, a ‘reject’ helped the Jets last year.

On August 21 last season, Jason Myers was claimed off of waivers and became the first Pro Bowl kicker in team history.

On September 1 in 2019 the New York Jets claimed Kaare Vedvik off waivers, is anyone else having flashbacks?

Now the big difference between these two players is Myers had been around the NFL since 2015. Vedvik has never kicked in an NFL regular-season game.

Despite the lack of experience he more than makes up for it with his raw talent.

In college, Vedvik kicked a 92-yard punt, which is the 7th longest punt in FBS history. On top of his collegiate talents, Kaare has the ability to placekick and punt, which provides some uniqueness to his roster spot with his versatility.

Plus this is a guy who is only 25 years old, if he plays his cards right he could be the long term answer at kicker for the foreseeable future.

Vedvik has the talent, he has the resolve and mental fortitude (if you want to read about some of the obstacles he has overcome including nearly dying click here).

He has the ability to be Jason Myers 2.0 and quite frankly Kaare Vedvik 1.0 which could be more than good enough to make the Jets kicking woes as a thing of the past.