Vinatieri will prove to be irreplaceable

By David Wedge  |   Wednesday, March 29, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots have bid farewell to one of its all time greatest players, now that Adam Vinatieri is heading to the AFC Conference rival Indianapolis Colts.

Vinatieri had widely been expected to re-sign with the Patriots, who reportedly offered the star clutch kicker a lucrative contract, which would have made Vinatieri the highest paid kicker in NFL history. However, both parties failed in their bids to reach an agreement.

The loss of Vinatieri comes as a huge blow to the Patriots, who have also recently lost wide receiver David Givens and linebacker Willie McGinest.

Unlike Givens and McGinest, the New England Patriots will find it almost impossible to replace Vinatieri. Sure, Givens and McGinest are great players, but the room in the salary cap should allow New England to shore up these positions with more than adequate replacements. Replacing Vinatieri, however, is far tougher as there is no kicker in the league that can equal his ability to kick under pressure. Vinatieri has a remarkable record in making pressure kicks. Just ask St Louis Rams or Carolina Panthers fans that saw Vinatieri make last minute field goals to crush their side's chances of lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

One thing is for certain, should the Patriots reach the playoffs and beyond next season, New England fans won't be quite so confident late in the fourth quarter when within field goal range. Also, spare a thought for Vinatieri's replacement, who will have to fill the shoes of a New England icon and one of the greatest kickers in NFL history.

For the Indianapolis Colts, the capture of Vinatieri represents one of the best signings by any team during the offseason. In recent years, the Colts have seemed to choke when the pressure is on and have rarely lived up to expectations created by regular season accomplishments. Mike Vanderjagt epitomized this trend in last year's AFC divisional playoffs by missing a game-tying kick against the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Vinatieri's presence in Indianapolis will bring much needed experience and calm to a team which has so often failed to deliver when the pressure is on.
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